Past Eternity
by DoomsdayDevices
Summary: Slaves of the fal'cie can achieve salvation, but struggle to fight it. The lives of Cid Raines and Lightning Farron become entangled, and fall entwined.  LightCid
1. Serendipity

**My new project, chronicling a tumultuous affair between one of my favourite pairings, and how a man becomes a L'cie.**

**Hope you enjoy =]**

**None of the characters used belong to me. All rights belong to respective owners.**

* * *

"I am Cid Raines, Brigadier General of the fleet..."

He held out a long, robe-clad arm towards her, in a gesture that seemed more like a cack-handed attempt to grab her than a conventional handshake. Nevertheless she took his hand in hers, and bowed her head, saying nothing.

Lightning Farron's eyes were shadowed and pink rimmed, her uniform creased and unkempt, and her hair long and frayed at the ends. Cid took the time to look at her, and decided at once that she was far too thin, and too young, to be a soldier. She was evidently fatigued, and her back was slightly arched inadvertently. From his perspective, she looked something like an overgrown mouse.

"I have been told that you missed the induction to the new airship model T-91A. The model you are familiar with, that is, the T-900, is now out of commission. Although the running of the airships is left strictly to the Airfleet personnel, this new model will be used to transport you from base to base, provide emergency assault backup, and be a medical refuge for you in any potential warzone..."

She nodded.

"Hence, that is why Lieutenant Amodar has arranged for me to give you the induction personally. I agree that it is not fair that you should be behind your comrades simply because of your...situation."

At those words, she finally looked up, and her eyes, clear as still waters, met his.

"I wasn't aware I had a 'situation'..."

She pulled herself up to her full height swiftly, and Cid was quite taken aback. Her eyes seemed to show a sudden onset of fury, and yet great restraint.

He couldn't help but smile to himself. He had misjudged her. Already he could see that she lived up to her reputation.

"Call it what you will. If you'd like to follow me..."

Throughout the course of the next hour, Lightning Farron seemed to reanimate. In fact, Cid was quite bewildered at how she walked, boldly and with large strides, from place to place, leaving no door unopened and no control panel uninspected. She was almost, _too_ professional. He had attempted to discuss with her the decline of funding into the Airfleet, and tried to compliment her by listing some of her achievements of which he had heard. Not even a smile from Ms. Farron.

But then, he understood.

_Some people who suffer a great loss in their personal lives, devote themselves to their work, to rid their mind of it._

He knew. He'd done it himself.

Cid spent the whole tutorial painfully aware of the fact that every word he said made little or no impact on her at all. She explored the whole ship in her bubble, teaching herself. She did not need him to give her lectures; she learned faster alone.

The final part of the tour was to visit Cid's own quarters. He had something of an 'office' above the observation deck, which housed many manuals, spell books and the necessary paperwork to ensure the smooth running of the fleet. Huge metal bookcases lined two of the walls, employing a magnetic device to hold the books in place during flight, which Ms. Farron was less than fascinated about.

Leather cushioned chairs were placed either side of his shining metal desk, and he gestured for Lightning to take a seat. He could feel the sun hitting his back from the great pane of glass behind him. It cast a shadow across his face, but hers was illuminated. Her skin and hair appeared the same colour, her eyes glowing like two sapphires in a gold ring. For the first time since he met her, merely a few hours earlier, she looked human.

"I take you've understood everything I've told you today."

"Of course."

"Good. Then all that needs to be done is for me to complete some forms to verify the fact, and then for you to return them to the Lieutenant."

He stood, grabbing a book to rest his parchment on and turning towards the sun, pen in hand, so he could see what he was doing. With languid movements of his pen, he began to scrawl the necessary credentials. Behind him, he could hear the young girl wandering around the room, trying to remove books, and letting her hands glance over the papers on his desk. He didn't see much point in telling her to stop. She would not have listened in any case.

After covering the page in glistening ink, he scrawled his mark at the bottom, and began to turn around.

"Now all that needs to be done is for you to sig-"

He stopped.

Lightning Farron was stood by the bookcase on the left hand wall, holding an old, brown book in her hand. On it, he could see a fragment of a familiar mark; a black arrow peeping up from behind her hand. Cid's heart jumped into his mouth.

"STOP!"

In a flash, he was across the room, and had hold of the young girl's arm, knocking the book straight out of her hands.

"What the hell...?"

She shook herself free and took a step back, staring at him in fear and confusion. If he wasn't her superior, she would've hit him, and hard.

"That's not for you to mess around with, Ms. Farron."

He was beginning to sound timid, suddenly feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt for being so aggressive.

"I-I must apologise," he stammered, "But those books contain valuable evidence towards war crimes cases, and they must not be tampered with."

He lied terribly.

She looked down at the book, and the papers that had fallen out of it.

"So valuable, you just throw them on the floor, huh?"

Cid thought it best not to answer her. He picked up the book and its contents, this time placing it in the top drawer of his desk, which he proceeded to lock with a small, bronze key. Lightning could see that he was suddenly very anxious.

On the desk he laid out the induction form, which he had also dropped, and held out the pen for the young girl to sign. For a long moment she stared at him, distrusting. Though she would not let on, his sudden change in temperament had alarmed her. His eyes had suddenly gone very dark, matching the charcoal colour of his cropped hair; for that one moment he had seemed almost sinister. Even now she could see in his face that his mind was elsewhere.

She took the pen, her fingers gently touching his as she did so. She could've sworn that he flinched.

Making her mark, she placed the pen back in its holder on the desk, folded up the parchment and put it in her pocket. Cid was hunched over, and looking away from her.

"Will that be all?"

She straightened and turned to leave.

"Yes..." he said, contemplatively.

Lightning took one last glance at Cid before walking across the room and placing her hand on the door handle.

"Actually..."

Cid stood and walked around to the front of his desk. Lightning turned to face him, expecting some form of lecture.

"I- ..." Cid began hesitantly.

Lightning's eyes were questioning.

"I was sorry to hear about your mother..."

As soon as he uttered the words, he regretted it. Something told him that Lightning Farron wasn't the sort of person who appreciated sympathy. All the while she stared at him, saying nothing.

"I had heard good things about her. To lose her so suddenly, I understand it must be a great pain..."

Lightning looked down, away from Cid's gaze.

"It is..." she whispered.

He took a step closer to her.

"How old are you, Ms. Farron?"

"I'm just sixteen."

"And now head of the household?"

She nodded solemnly, thinking of Serah. She was her guardian now. It was infinitely difficult for her to be solely responsible for the care of a teenage girl. Luckily for her, Serah had never been much of a problem child.

"I went through much the same thing ...

He trailed off, turning to look out of the window.

"The agony of it...sometimes, you begin to wish that you...never care for someone so much ever again. My father..."

He turned back to her, eyes suddenly warm again.

"You won't feel that way forever."

Her eyes met his.

"So I'm told..." he added.

She nodded, marvelling again at Cid's change of tone.

"Thank you, General Raines"

He smiled.

"Please call me Cid, Ms. Farron."

"Please call me Light, Cid."

Nodding, he went to press the release for the door.

"Very well."

She pulled the door open.

"I can find my way out okay, don't worry."

"Down three set of stairs, and follow the yellow arrows, in case you forget..."

For a long moment, she stared at him.

"I won't..."

And with that she turned on her heels and left.

* * *

The rest of the afternoon passed without Cid doing anything of any merit. It was a humid summer's day and despite all his previous protests to his superiors, he still had to wear his silver robes, which were heavy and clung to his skin in an uncomfortable way. Every so often, he would fantasise about diving naked off a cliff face into a lazuli sea, as he paced the corridors of his new airship. However, these dreams were frequently interrupted by the fear that he would turn a corner, and find Lightning Farron ripping wires out of a wall panel. She'd had quite the effect on him. Frightened him, in fact, and he had frightened her in return.

Returning to his office and laying his arms on his desk, he found himself wishing her well. The way she had behaved...reminded him so much of himself. He felt an immense sympathy.

_If we ever meet again_, he wondered, _I must try not to show it. _

The sun was setting and the crew had long since returned home. Alone, he felt it safe to remove his long cloak. He stood up and pulled it free.

_Ding.._.

Something hit the metal floor.

Turning around, Cid saw a small, bronze key lying by the window. A horrible feeling arose in his stomach.

He picked it up, and moved it between each of his fingers, glancing from the key to the desk and back again, the setting sun shining off it, effervescent and gold.

_You do not need to know._

_You have built a good life for yourself._

_You will ruin everything. _

He knew it to be true.

Opening one of the glass panels, he pushed it wide, and with one last glance at his desk, he threw the key as far as he could across the aerodrome. He watched it curve and fall, glinting briefly before disappearing.

Feeling an overwhelming sense of relief, he closed the panel and threw his cloak over his forearm. Sighing to himself, he made sure everything was in order before locking his office door, departing the T-91A and bidding adieu to the guards at the aerodrome door.

Cid Raines had not seen the man in the shadow.

He had not seen him bend down and pocket his bronze key.

He did not know that everywhere he went, and whatever he did, he was being watched.

He would not know it for years to come.

* * *

**Thanks for reading**


	2. Treasures

**Thanks for the support and reviews ^_^**

**Here is the second installment**

**None of the characters belong to me. All rights belong to respective owners. **

* * *

"Menrva..."

Galenth Dysley held up his hand authoritatively. His rukh familiar stirred on her perch, ceasing the grooming of her feathers.

"Fetch the consul. I imagine he has some more futile things for me to sign..."

The bird responded immediately, flapping her wings and disappearing through an open window. Dysley ran his hands across his robes. The sensation in his old, withered hands was dull and listless. To be human was frustratingly limiting.

A moment later Menrva returned through the window, and a knock sounded at the tall dark wood door.

"Enter..."

The consul hesitantly opened the door, and crept over to where the Primarch was seated.

"How fairs business in Cocoon?" Galenth Dysley croaked; his pretence at weariness was as natural to him as breathing, now.

"Well, sir," the consul began clumsily, shuffling his papers, "the removal of the Bomb swarm in the Vile Peaks has been completed".

"Excellent."

"Also, as per your request, work is being begun to reduce the number of monsters residing in and around Lake Bresha, as well as the Sunleth Waterscape."

"How are they doing this...?"

The consul pushed his glasses up his nose.

"Well s-sir, as well as just exterminating whenever population suffers a great increase, the researchers at Eden Academy are devising ways to actively reduce breeding."

"How?"

"I-I don't know, sir."

"Well find out!"

Dysley slammed his fist down on his armrest. Menrva turned to glare at the ever nervous young man.

For a moment, there was silence as Dysley seemed to think to himself. The consul began to wonder whether he should leave.

"Anything else?"

"Oh, er... yes actually sir, although it's not really good news..."

The Primarch sighed.

"Out with it..."

The consul nodded.

"Yes, of course, sir. Well, I have it on authority that the Wide-area Response Brigade of the Guardian Corps, or simply 'the Cavalry', is taking measures against the sanctum. They continue to follow all orders, and on the surface seem perfectly level; however, there is talk among other factions of the military that the training of the Response Brigade troops contains a certain anti-sanctum slant, more so since the appointment of Aver Rygdea, a known revolutionary..."

Dysley paused for thought. The consul's eyes drifted to Menrva, who seemed to be smirking.

"Response Brigade?" murmured the Primarch, "That's Cid Raines' unit isn't it?"

The consul nodded.

"I believe so, sir..."

"Well, it has long been known that the Cavalry is something of a renegade within the Guardian Corps. However, they are monitored strictly, and so long as they continue to serve my purpose, then I don't really understand why it is important..."

Menrva hooted in approval.

"I also don't understand why you are presenting it to me as _news_..."

The young man coughed nervously.

"Well sir, y-you see, Cid Raines has requested an increase in budget for his department..."

At this revelation, the Primarch's mood seemed to change slightly. The consul noticed the corners of his mouth turn up into a small smile.

"Has he now...?"

"Yes sir. He also requests that over the course of the next year, the T-91A should be decommissioned, as it is no longer up to date with modern technology. In the four years since its construction, researchers at Eden have found more efficient and economical ways of running a ship of the same size and capacity, as well as developing more advanced weaponry..."

Dysley stroked his wrinkled chin, thinking intensely.

_Perhaps this is a sign, that it is almost time..._

The Primarch stood up in slow, languorous movements.

"Give Raines whatever he wants," he commanded, staring down at the young man.

The consul stepped back cautiously.

"A-Are you sure that's wise, sir? Considering the circumsta-"

Dysley raised his hand, and the man fell silent.

"Yes. Do as I command..."

The consul nodded.

"...and get out..."

The Primarch glared menacingly.

Whereas the man's entrance had been hesitant, his exit was swift.

Once alone, Dysley replaced his shuffle for a bold stride, and went to stand beside his familiar, who was again grooming herself on her perch. Tentatively, he stroked her silver feathers.

"Do you still have that little gift I gave you...?"

Menrva circled her head enthusiastically.

"Good..." he purred, rubbing her head softly.

He looked out over Eden. The light was setting beautifully over the horizon.

"Keep a hold of it. I shall soon have need of it..."

* * *

Serah Farron's eighteenth birthday had been something of a downer. Her school friends had been lovely, and she'd carried an armful of small presents home with her and dumped them haphazardly on the kitchen table. She had extracurricular tuition, and by the time she had returned home, it was getting dark, and the sun was half set.

She stumbled over the chairs and felt for the light switch.

"Light! Are you here?"

No reply.

After a moment, the room was illuminated, and Serah saw, with some disappointment, that it was empty.

"Light?"

Serah stopped, noticing a little note on the table besides her small pile of presents. Her name was scrawled on it in her sister's hand.

There was little need for her to read it; Serah knew what it would say. She had read hundreds of similar notes over the last few years.

_Have to work late. I've made dinner for you, it's on the side, just needs heating up. _

_There's a present for you in your room._

_Light_

Running her fingers gently over the words, the young girl could tell that the writer had been pressing too hard with the pen, and took this as a sign of her sister's ever heightening stress. The letter was so impersonal it made Serah feel a little crestfallen, but this was nothing new. Sometimes, with Light, you had to read between the lines to find the affection. Looking over the words, Serah knew it was there; it wasn't obvious, but it was there.

Putting the note in her pocket, Serah took the cover off her dinner and put it into the oven.

The house seemed awfully big when she was alone. Having more than one person in it made all the difference. Luckily, she was used to it.

After setting the timer and closing the oven door, Serah's curiosity got the better of her. Wandering to her room, she contemplated with unease the type of present Light would have left for her. Her sister was usually quite generous with her gifts; Serah suspected that it was due to the guilt of being absent most of the time. Luckily for Lightning, her little sister was mature enough to understand that there were bills to pay and mouths to feed.

After their mother's death, only part of the family inheritance had gone immediately to them. The lion's share was being kept in trust until Lightning's twenty-first birthday, as stipulated by their mother's will. It meant that in order to keep the house, Lightning had to work, and work hard.

On nights like this, Serah wished that the next six months would swiftly elapse, so that her sister could spend more time at home, and work a little less. She fancied that it would be healthy for Lightning to get out a little more, make a few friends and have some hobbies that didn't have anything to do with the military.

_Less of a soldier, more of a sister..._

_That's all I want._

Serah's room was a little messier than usual; papers scattered on the floor, books in disarray and the bed unmade. However, she noticed that on her pillow was a small box, wrapped in silver paper and adorned with a ribbon. Sitting down on the bed, Serah held the little box in her hands, and began to gently peel away the wrapping. Underneath was a navy case with a large golden jeweller's crest on the lid. Opening it up, she found inside two sparkling silver earrings, in the shape of cats.

"Awww..."

Her sister had learned that the best presents were desirable, rather than practical. Whenever it was time to buy Lightning a present, Serah was always made to buy something of use. Lightning never took kindly to jewellery or bath salts, but was beginning to realise that her younger sister was often partial to them.

Turning the cats over in her hand, she noticed that her name was engraved on the underside of each cat's tail. Serah blushed, realising that they must have cost her sister a fortune. She immediately took out her crystal studs and put the cats in, admiring them in her dressing table mirror. They were obviously the work of a very fine craftsperson.

Realising then that it was highly likely she would be fast asleep before her sister returned, she took out a pad of paper and began to write a note.

_Thank you, I like them a lot. Please get a good night's sleep and tomorrow morning I will make you a big breakfast. _

Love Serah x x x

She folded the paper over, addressed it to 'Grumpy', and left it lying on her sister's pillow.

As she left Lightning's eerily tidy bedroom, she wondered how two people who lived in the same house could only rely on notes and letters to communicate.

The sky was dark. There wasn't a sound in the house.

For a moment, Serah felt incredibly lonely.

* * *

The sun seemed to suddenly burst through the small gap in the curtains, hitting Lightning's eyes and causing her to stir gently in her bed. As she moved, she felt every tendon in her body stretch uncomfortably, and every muscle ache. Forcing herself out of bed despite her ailments, she stepped towards her armoire, catching her reflection in her mirror as she did so.

She was still wearing her uniform, and there was a piece of paper stuck clumsily to her face.

_How did I not notice that?_

She ripped it off, and read it. As she did so, she felt the smell of breakfast waft in, and thought it best to change clothes before presenting herself to her sister. She pulled on some jeans and a shirt, gave her hair a little brush, and wandered out into the hall.

"Breakfast is ready! GET UP!"

"I am up..."

Serah turned away from the stove to see her sister standing in the doorway.

"Pancakes?" Light croaked, distinguishing the smell.

"You betcha..."

There was no escape from Serah's sunny disposition.

Lightning sat down at the table, and waited patiently for her food to be ready. The silence swept in as it always did, and although Serah knew her sister was tired, she felt the need to say something.

"Thank you for the present..." she mumbled nervously.

Lightning looked up to notice that her sister was wearing the earrings.

"No problem. They...look nice on you..."

Not wanting to talk anymore, Light found the remote for the TV and turned it on.

" _...Eden's annual Celebration Parade is already in full swing. The marching band is currently proceeding from Edenhall to the city centre, and crowds upon crowds have come to enjoy the festivities..."_

"Ahhh yeah..." Serah mused, "I was going to go...but turns out it's near impossible to get into Eden on a parade day..."

Lightning frowned.

"You were going to go?"

"Yeah..."

Serah placed a plate of pancakes down in front of her sister.

"With who?"

Serah braced herself for an interrogation.

"Some...one..."

Lightning glared at her sister.

"Some...boy?"

Serah fell quiet, and turned to clean the pan.

"Serah..." Light growled.

Sighing, Serah turned to face her sister, and decided, for once, to be brave.

"He's very nice, okay? He likes me a lot and I like him. And that's that."

Light didn't have the strength to argue. She'd find out who the guy was in her own time.

"Now eat your food. Don't you have training this afternoon...?"

Her big sister froze.

"Serah...what time is it?"

The young girl looked at her watch.

"It's half past eleven..."

Light remained still for a further second, before jumping up and running out of the room.

"_Shit, shit, shit..."_

She emerged a second later in her uniform.

"Light, what are you doing?"

Her sister didn't reply. She grabbed her keys, and a moment later Serah heard the front door slam closed.

Serah sighed, looking with disdain at the two plates of pancakes in front of her.

* * *

**Thank you for reading. **


	3. Lost Property

**Thanks to all my viewers and reviewers. I appreciate you all, promise. **

**This chapter is a little longer than usual, hope you don't mind ^_^**

**None of the characters used belong to me. All rights belong to respective owners. **

* * *

"Arghhh!"

Rygdea fought the young behemoth back, trying desperately to get it into the cage.

"Whatever you do, don't kill it..." sounded a voice behind him.

Rygdea grabbed the thing's hackles, and it snarled angrily, gnashing at him with large teeth. He raised his leg and kicked its rump, letting go of the purple fur as he did so. The gargantuan creature fell backwards.

"Now!"

Several men immediately jumped on the cage door, and pushed it shut.

Rygdea breathed a sigh of relief.

"WHO THE HELL LET THAT THING OUT?"

Nobody moved. The holds were full of caged monsters all equally rowdy and unhappy.

Glaring at the men angrily, Rygdea turned and stormed across the metal floor. Still feeling quite shaken, he boarded the elevator for the top. As the floor moved beneath him, he noticed an unsightly gash on his left arm.

"Oh, for the love of..."

The elevator pinged.

Striding boldly down the corridor, he rapped noisily on a large metal door.

"Come in..."

Cid Raines was sat in his chair, staring out across the vast midday sky.

Rygdea immediately collapsed onto a chair, brushing sweat from his brow. Cid spun round, regarding his friend with some consternation.

"Are you alright..?"

Rygdea grunted.

"Just about. Some juvenile let the behemoth out, but it's all sorted now..."

He looked away from his wound to the General, who had a small pile of papers in his hand.

"Anything exciting?" he inquired, leaning forward and resting his arms on Cid's desk.

"Mmmm, it's odd I must say..."

"What is?"

Cid handed the papers to his subordinate.

"Dysley has acceded to our demands. All of them..."

Rygdea stared at the papers in disbelief.

"We only put these through yesterday..."

"I know..."

Rygdea looked worriedly at Cid's face.

"What does it mean? Do you think he knows?"

Cid scowled.

"Of course he knows, everyone knows..."

"Then why would he...?"

General Raines shook his head.

"I've been trying to figure it out all morning..."

At that moment, Rygdea felt suddenly nauseous, as the airship began to descend.

"Listen Cid, with that kind of increase in artillery and man power, we're strong enough to-"

"Stop it..."

Rygdea slammed his fist hard onto the desk. A suicidal paperweight threw itself off the edge and clattered on the metal floor.

"I've had enough of this, Cid!"

Raines' face was stoic, as usual. His eyes moved down to the shattered glass orb, before moving slowly back up to look at the young soldier. To his surprise, Rygdea held his gaze firmly, and the air suddenly became tense.

"Why?" Rygdea asked, quieter, "Why is it that every time we make progress, it's not enough? Always when we are ready to attack, you back down! Why don't we just-?"

"You know why..."

Cid's eyes were dark and his expression was one that Rygdea found intimidating, almost disturbing. Morose shadows hung across the General's face, hanging beneath his eyes and deepening his cheeks.

Rygdea said nothing.

"Remember what I told you," Cid began, "My thoughts...suspicions...about Dysley..."

The young soldier shook his head.

"And I told you...that it's nonsense..."

Cid ran his left hand across the top drawer of his desk.

"Maybe it is, Aver," Raines sighed, "But what I read...it's too similar. If he is...what I think he is..."

He stared out over the sky.

"...then the battle to bring down the sanctum will be harder than we ever imagined..."

A low groan came from Rygdea's throat. The gash on his arm was throbbing. Deciding he'd had enough, the soldier stood abruptly and pushed his chair aside.

"Then maybe it's time you found out, hmm?" he hissed, before turning sharply and striding out through the door.

A moment later the airship stopped, indicating that it had finally landed. The General made to get up.

_Am I mad? Could it really be...?_

He thought of the secret that he had locked away. The secret he had locked away for a reason.

_No. If you go down that road, you don't know where it will lead. _

He cursed himself for being so weak.

Outside, reams of Guardian Corps personnel stood scattered across the clearing, preparing for their training exercise.

It wasn't the sort of thing the Response Unit was used to. Killing monsters was their forte, not capturing.

Feeling unsettled, he made his way down to the holds, and from there to the ground. His men were dispersed, dividing the numerous soldiers into groups, and briefing each one on what monster they would be fighting. The remainder of his troops were forming a perimeter around the clearing to ensure that no creature was to escape. A few paces away a large man was barking orders out.

"Lieutenant Amodar!"

The large man turned, and smiled warmly when he saw Cid.

"General Raines..."

He shook his hand firmly.

"How is it that we never work together anymore, Cid?"

"I'd wager it was because of the paperwork, Lieutenant..."

Amodar let out a throaty laugh.

"Now, now," he chided, patting the General on the back, "You mustn't let it weigh you down. Gosh! It broke my heart when they promoted you!"

Cid glanced around the clearing. The sky was clear and cloudless, but the beautiful day did nothing to quell the disquiet amongst the anxious Guardian Corps. He was about to return to the ship, when he felt a cold hand on his shoulder.

"Everything's ready to go," announced Rygdea, looking a little less aggrieved than earlier, "The men will lower the cargo hold doors on your command..."

Raines nodded.

"Very well. Get everyone in position, Lieutenant..."

The next few minutes were a cacophony of shouting and screeching until finally the General roared the command for the door to be lowered, and the first monster, which appeared to be a rust pudding, sauntered out to the first group of young soldiers, who made short work of it.

From there on out, the land brigade were in control, and General Raines felt somewhat at a loose end. Knowing there wouldn't be much in the way of work for him until it was time to clear up, he decided it was best to take a break from watching the commotion, and leave Rygdea in charge of affairs. Falling out of the group, he began to pace the perimeter, walking just within the large circle of his men.

_Why is Dysley being so cooperative? _

Surely it couldn't be that he didn't know about their alternate agenda?

_Maybe it's a trap..?_

But why? What would he gain from...?

Cid's thoughts were interrupted as one of his men, a few yards away into the circle, suddenly flew forward about five feet. His hand went to his gunblade almost immediately, and he lunged forward, prepared for battle.

A glowing white blur seemed to get its feet tangled up in the fallen man's legs. It struggled, before tumbling forward and landing on its back beside the soldier.

"Urghhh..."

Cid ran over, pulling the young soldier to his feet, and then turning to regard the mysterious thing on the grass. A young girl, clad in Guardian Corps uniform, dragged herself up, resting her hands on her knees and breathing heavily.

"I'm...I'm late..."

Raines put his weapon away.

"Late and reckless," he chastised, "How did you manage to-?"

The young girl looked up, and two familiar sapphires caught his gaze.

_Lightning Farron._

Cid smiled.

"Well, hello again..."

After a long moment of saying nothing, and staring, the young soldier seemed to suddenly recognise him, and her expression turned to one of pure horror.

"General Raines, sir!"

She stood up straight, and saluted at her breast.

By this point, the Lieutenant had wandered over, curious as to the cause of the ruckus.

Upon seeing him, Lightning immediately turned and saluted to him as well.

"I'm sorry I'm late, sir. I didn't realise..."

"Your group's already been, Farron," announced the Lieutenant, a regretful look in his eye, "You'll have to forfeit your bonus and retake the exercise next term..."

"But sir..."

"Rules are rules, Farron," said Amodar firmly, "You're lucky I don't give you a disciplinary..."

The young girl's shoulders fell a little.

"Now, go home..."

The lieutenant turned his back to her, and returned to the group.

"Damnit!" she cursed, as soon as he was out of earshot. She kicked the turf in frustration, before remembering that the General was also watching her.

"Sorry..." she murmured, turning to him.

"Oh?" Cid smiled in amusement, "Don't worry about me, you're not under my command. Swear all you like..."

And she did for a little while, before feeling as though she should apologise again.

"Sorry, it's just – I just ran here- I don't have money for the train- How am I going to get back? – Wha-?"

"Alright, alright," Raines interrupted, "Just calm down. You can wait here until training's over. We've got to take the ship back to Eden. I'm sure I can get you on the shuttle there."

The young girl nodded gratefully.

"That's – thank you General Raines..."

"Like I said, you're not under my command," he told her calmly, "Call me Cid."

"Yes, sir."

"Cid..." he corrected.

"Right."

They only had a few minutes left to wait before the Guardian Corps finished their training and departed, leaving the Response Brigade troops to clean up the mess. After a while, General Raines decided that the filling in of potholes was a task below his unit's station, and announced that it was time to leave.

The troops all piled onto the ship, and Lightning felt very self-conscious, standing out in her white uniform. She tried not to lose track of Cid, but he soon disappeared into the throngs of people, and after a while she found herself standing alone in a long metal corridor as the ship took off and headed for Eden. Feeling fairly miserable about losing a substantial amount of her earnings, she consoled herself with the thought that the long run to the clearing had probably done her some good.

When the ship came into land, the troops reappeared, pushing their way past her to leave the ship. From a window, Light watched the sea of men ripple across the vast space of the aerodrome. Still no sign of Cid.

Slumping to the floor, she rested her back against the wall and unfolded her legs across the corridor.

_I really needed that bonus..._

Sighing, she ran her hand through her hair, untying it, and letting it fall over her shoulders.

_I need to apologise to Serah. _

Just as her sister's face began to permeate her thoughts, a noise sounded at the bottom of the corridor. Light looked up.

Cid was unrecognisable without his uniform. He was wearing navy fatigues and a black T-shirt, harsh in contrast to his pale skin. He'd removed all his adornments and expensive fabrics; now he looked humbly normal.

"There you are," he remarked, spotting her on the floor, "We're going to have to fight our way across town. Luckily, the next shuttle isn't for an hour..."

_Oh yeah, the parade..._

Light sighed, and began to pull herself up, when Cid dashed forward to help her. Placing her on her feet, he led her away down the corridor to the exit.

"Don't you have a battering ram or something..?" Light asked facetiously.

Cid grinned.

"Not allowed to use it on civilians, though I'd often like to..."

The expanse of the aerodrome was to be the only peace they would have all evening. As soon as the two soldiers stepped out into the street, noise erupted around them. Lightning grimaced at the swarms of children, adults, confectionary and balloons that clouded her view. A group of people pushed past them, and she was shoved into Cid's side.

She heard him say something, but didn't hear what it was.

"What?"

"Let's find a quiet spot and wait for it to die down..."

He grabbed her forearm, and pulled her into the crowd. Bodies pressed against them, and although Lightning could feel Cid's powerful grip on her arm, she couldn't see him. Lights were shining overhead, and a million people's voices penetrated her mind until she completely lost her bearings; all she could do was to keep her feet moving as she was dragged helplessly through the furore.

Suddenly, there was air. Cid had managed to find a small area that wasn't populated, and Light followed their connected arms to his face. He was looking around him. Another crowd was coming towards them, and Light felt herself being pulled up.

The raised gardens in the central plaza lay some five feet above street level. Unable to get to the steps, Cid clambered up and helped Light up after him, and they collapsed, exhausted, on the grass behind the railings.

"It'll die down..." gasped Cid, "when the fireworks are over..."

Steadying himself, he got to his feet, and leaned against the railings, looking out over the city, and Light soon joined him.

"Now that's a sight..."

Everywhere there were lights, dotted across the cityscape. The whole city was a platter of colour and vibrancy. For a moment, it took Lightning's breath away.

"Sorry if I –"

Cid was looking at her arm, where a red mark had appeared.

"Oh-" she said passively, "Don't worry about it. I'm sure being at the mercy of that mob would've been a lot worse."

"That's the thing though isn't it?" Cid pondered, looking out contemplatively, "Everything is bad for us, in great quantities...Even people..."

Light curled her fingers around the railing.

"_Especially_ people..." she corrected, and Cid smiled.

"There has to be some people you like..." he suggested.

She shook her head.

"I don't like anyone all of the time..."

She turned to Cid, and saw that he was chuckling, eyes scrunched and hair brushing against his cheek.

"Wonderful!," he said, amused "Neither do I..."

Light was quite surprised to see him so casual. He seemed so at ease it almost unnerved her.

"May I speak out of term, General Raines?"

He nudged her.

"Cid..." he corrected.

"May I speak out of term_, Cid?_"

He nodded.

"Of course," he agreed, "In fact... I'd rather you did..."

There was a brief silence between them, whilst their surroundings were still loud and alive.

"You seem a lot less uptight than when I met you..."

Cid laughed, and Lightning was taken aback.

"Likewise, Ms. Farron..."

She nudged him.

"Light..." she corrected.

"Of course..."

For a moment, neither spoke. They looked out over the chaos, and to passersby their faces seemed to show a blasé indifference to it all. Unbeknownst to most, amongst members of the military an expressionless face was a sign of peace, and contentment.

Cid flinched as the breeze caught Lightning's hair and swept it across his face. He brushed it away playfully, and Light smiled apologetically before pulling her hair over her other shoulder. She imagined that when she turned back to him, he would be laughing at her again, but this time, his expression was suddenly forlorn.

"What's up?"

He sighed and looked back out towards the horizon.

"Things in the unit..." he growled, pausing to clear his throat, "They aren't going so well at the moment. The situation...keeps getting more complicated..."

Lightning nodded in realisation.

"Has the sanctum realised that you guys aren't quite...you know...with the programme?"

Cid's face contorted, and he looked thoroughly perplexed.

"Well, see, that's the damndest thing...I'm not sure...They agree to all our demands, throw millions of gil at us and never even contest us on the issue. It's almost like...Well, it feels like a trap but I don't see how...They could shut us down anytime they wanted...It's like..."

His eyes glazed over as he became engulfed in thought.

"It's like they want us...to do this..."

Cid shook his head violently.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be boring you with all this..."

Lightning barely heard him. Something about his words rang true to her, although she wasn't sure what it was.

"No, no...I find it all very...interesting..."

Raines didn't seem convinced.

"Well, it's nice to have a change of scenery. I'd just be sat at home thinking it through over and over if I wasn't here, with you..."

"_You_ _are_ thinking it through over and over, and _you are_ here, with me..."

Light smirked at him, and she was pleased to see him smiling again.

"Maybe, but not as much..."

A short time passed, and they looked around them, noticed that the crowd was beginning to die down.

"I think..." Cid announced, straightening up, "That we should get a move on, if you ever want to get home..."

Once again, Light found herself being dragged through slightly thinner crowds to the station. Cid, despite the commotion, knew his way around the area incredibly well. Lightning had been to Eden many times, but for the most part, she had no idea where she was.

The station was surprisingly quiet, and Cid caught the attention of the shuttle driver who was about to depart, and asked him politely to take the young girl to Bodhum.

"One last thing, before I go, Cid..."

He looked at her kindly.

"Shoot..."

"Thinking alone never solves anything. Think first, but then you must act. Unless you use action, you will change nothing..."

Light paused, looking away from him.

"It's something my mother used to say. It's the only advice I know. I hope it helps you..."

Cid appeared to slip into his reverie briefly.

"T-Thank you..." he said hurriedly, after forgetting to reply, "...Light..."

She gave him a last flicker of a smile, and turned away to leave.

"Wait..!"

Cid took a stride towards her, just as she spun around to face him.

"What is it?"

For a moment, he couldn't tell whether she was irritated or concerned.

"Well..." Cid suddenly seemed to lose his nerve, "Could I perhaps, see you so-"

"I don't date", she interrupted sharply.

Cid wondered how he'd managed to be so predictable.

"No, of course not. But..."

He smiled, and took a deep breath.

"If perhaps...I was to bump into you...at some point...by sheer coincidence...and at that time you happened to have nothing better to do...and we...as colleagues...decided to...discuss...work-related matters and such...would that be permissible?"

She looked a trifle confused.

"I suppose..." she murmured, uncertainly.

Cid relished in his miniature victory.

"Well, should such an instance occur, I'll see you then..."

She nodded, looking suddenly a little cautious, before stepping into the awaiting vehicle, and disappearing into the night.

* * *

He was already drifting off to sleep by the time he got back to his apartment.

The journey back had been perilous, and he had a feeling that the festivities weren't going to be an aid to his repose. He went to his room and sat down on his bed, not bothering to switch on the light. However, he could see the room clearly from the glow of the city beyond his window.

_Did I really say all those things to her?_

He had to admit it to himself; he had enjoyed not having to spend the evening alone.

It was the burden of success. His colleagues were often too reverent to befriend him. Friends had seemed to drift away from him when he was promoted. It wasn't to say he wasn't fair, or good at his job. He was well-liked, and respected amongst the entire military. So, why the abandonment?

He knew in his heart the reason.

He wasn't 'one of them' anymore.

And yet, he wasn't quite of the aristocracy either. He had attended all the sanctum parties and galas, and never felt at ease even amongst other high rankers in the military. Golden chocobo breeding and eidolon operas had never really appealed to him, and he had no impressive battle credentials or hideous war injuries to talk about. Cid Raines had become very much used to isolation.

The only person who hadn't been scared to tell him exactly what they thought was Aver. If he wasn't happy, or had an idea, he would barge in, and announce it straight to his face. It was the reason Cid had appointed him. Raines knew about Rygdea's somewhat extremist past, but it didn't matter to him. He needed people around him who told it to him straight.

Lightning Farron was such a person.

He cursed the gods for making life so complicated.

Sighing, he made up his mind not to think about it anymore. Getting up, he pulled back the bed sheets and retrieved his nightclothes from under the pillow.

The flash of passing vehicle illuminated his room, and he saw something shine, twinkling briefly in the darkness. The curtains fluttered, making eerie shadows dance across the carpet, and he paced over to the other wall, to his writing desk, and ran his hand across the surface.

And found something.

He held it up to the light, and saw it glitter in a way that was most familiar.

A small, bronze key.

_What the...?_

__

_

* * *

_

**Thanks for reading.**


	4. Awaken

**Thanks again for all the views and reviews. It makes a difference ^_^ **

**Hope you are enjoying the story so far. I'm not brilliant but I do my best. **

**As a note, the name 'Aver' as Rygdea's first name is given to him by me. I could only find the name 'Rygdea' for him, and couldn't discover whether it was his first/last name, or whether it was a nickname, so I decided I'd give him a full one.**

**None of the characters belong to me, all rights belong to the respective owners. **

* * *

Dysley had flannel robes for the night time. He had to pretend to sleep in case there was some emergency and his valet came to wake him. That had happened once or twice, and he was sick of firing his servants when they talked about it. Still, it was well known that the Primarch had unprecedented stamina for an elderly man.

Of course, as always, he had left the window open. It was getting quite late into the evening, and the detachment from his familiar was beginning to make him irritated.

"Where is that blasted bird..?"

It was a pointless thing to say; he knew exactly where the bird was, as was his power, but she liked to flutter about, linger until she thought the job was completed, then saunter on to her perch at some ridiculous hour. Despite the fact that he knew she was, on some level, a projection of himself, it didn't stop him from being infuriated by her avian characteristics.

He could hear her hooting blithely somewhere off in the distance, and waited patiently for her to show herself. When she arrived, he scowled at her malevolently. She ignored him.

"So it's done...?"

Menrva hooted.

"Good..."

Dysley folded his hands in his lap, and stared off into the distance.

_So what do we do now...? _She asked, preening her wings again.

"We wait..."

He stroked the bird gently with the back of his hand.

"He will come to us...I'm sure of it..."

* * *

"How do you feel...?"

Serah bent over her sister, pushing the hair from her eyes and placing her hand tentatively across her forehead.

"Like crap..."

Lightning frowned, and pushed her sister's hand away.

"Well, you don't have a temperature..." Serah murmured, standing back to get a more complete picture, "My diagnosis is exhaustion. A training exercise and a carnival – that's bound to wear you out..."

"I didn't technically get to do the exercise..." Lightning croaked, lying back down on the sofa.

"So how come Cid took you to the festival?" Serah interrogated, looking at her sister intensely.

Lightning sighed.

"He didn't take me to the _festival, _he took me to the _shuttle_, and there just happened to be a festival there at the time..."

"Sure. Of course he did..." Serah teased, giving her sister a wink.

"He did!"

"Well, he didn't have to go to all that trouble. You must've lead him on..."

"No!"

Serah chuckled and turned to look outside. Her sister was so easy to wind up; it was an endless source of amusement for her.

"I never thought you'd be such a flirt, Light..."

Serah felt a cushion hit her in the back of her head.

"Like I would know how to flirt..." Light groaned.

Her cushion came back to her, landing on her face.

"That's my sister..." said Serah, bemused, "Subtle as a train..."

Serah went to her room, grabbed some blankets, and came back to where Light was lying, semi-conscious on the living room settee. She threw the blankets over her, and in a very maternal way, tucked her in.

"Very well then, soldier. I forgive you..."

She kissed her sister's head gently.

"Just take care of yourself..."

* * *

Cid Raines looked a little more preoccupied than usual. His eyes had glazed over, and he seemed to be tired and suffering from lack of sleep.

"What on cocoon is wrong with you?" asked Rygdea forcefully, disappointed that his commander wasn't even looking at him.

For a long time, Raines said nothing.

"Why...?" he mused, forehead crunching in vexation, "On the day I see her again...the same day... I see the key...?"

"What?" Rygdea barked, annoyed, "What are you talking about?"

Aver leaned over the desk, and Raines finally looked at him.

"Nothing...It's just...Maybe you were right..."

The young soldier's mouth broadened out into a smile. He loved to be right. Reigning himself in, he sat back down on the chair in front of the General's desk.

"Oh really? What about...?"

Raines placed something in front of him. Rygdea snatched it away merely a second after it had left his hand.

"A key?"

Cid snatched it back, and glared at him. He twirled the key in his fingers, and sighed deeply.

"I think..._something_ queer is going on..."

_Could it have something to do with her?_

"Aver, don't you have duties to attend to...?"

Rygdea looked a little taken aback to be dismissed so suddenly.

"Of course, General Raines..." he said in a voice that was almost too formal. Cid imagined he was being facetious, but he was used to Rygdea's impertinence in the face of authority. There wasn't a single other member of his unit that would get away with such irreverence. It was probably what made some of the other soldiers resentful towards him.

Aver Rygdea left calmly, and Cid was finally alone after his morning conference.

_I last saw this key four years ago. The same day I met...her..._

"Coincidence, has to be..." he muttered aloud.

_In which case, what is it doing here? _

For a moment, he wondered if it wasn't a key that opened some other container in his apartment. He mentally went through every lockable possession that he owned, trying to imagine what each of their keys looked like. After a moment of fruitless thought, he decided there was only one way to be sure.

And he didn't really want to try it.

_You don't have to look at the book, all you have to do is turn the key, and see if it clicks. _

"And if it does...?"

_Cross that bridge when you come to it..._

Cid Raines held the key, and his hand hovered hesitantly towards the drawer. He didn't want to do it. He didn't want to know what it meant if it worked.

Swallowing down the lump in his throat, he thrust the key into the hole, and waited. Slowly he turned it, hearing tumblers move and metal scratch against metal.

_Click._

He froze.

_Somebody knows. About Dysley..._

It was the only explanation.

_But who could have put it in my apartment? Even if someone found it, how would they know it belonged to me...?_

None of it made sense.

In that moment he made a decision.

_I have to be sure. I have to look. I have to see it again..._

He turned the key the whole way, and pulled the drawer open.

There it lay, unchanged. Preserved exactly as it had been when he'd locked it away.

A thick brown book, with a black emblem on the front. An eye, surrounded by arrows.

The page was bookmarked, and he turned to it. He knew exactly where to look, third paragraph down, on the left hand page.

"The fal'cie, known to some as Baldaners, known to others as Barthandelus, was a creature gifted with power of translational disfigurement.

_O he could take the shape of any human, male or female, young or old._

_Walk he amongst humans, befriend them, turn them l'cie._

_But not complete as human guise._

_Hide he his powers in bird form._

_Fear child followed by the silver rukh, for you are watched by fal'cie,_

_and so l'cie mark on thine body be."_

Cid Raines had seen the bird. He had seen how Dysley's health never faltered, never failed. He had not managed to find any documents confirming his birth, or age. Nor did he seem to have any family at all. At first, he had thought nothing of it, but it slowly began to eat away at him. He'd been brought up not to question authority, so, for a brief time, it was easy for him to pretend that nothing was amiss. However, it soon became clear to him that he couldn't just ignore it; he would wake in the night, seeing Dysley's face warp into some hideous monster, and destroy Cocoon. He spent hours at a time reading and re-reading that one passage, and wondering. _Who, or what, is Galenth Dysley?_

He had appeared out of nowhere, some decades ago, and his authority had never been questioned.

_It has to be. _

Maybe the Primarch knew.

_He knows that I know._

_The key. The money. _

Cid had to know the truth. He'd been burying his head in the sand for too long.

For the sake of his unit, and for cocoon.

_Have we all been ruled by fal'cie? Without anyone realising? _

He cursed the day he found the book. The libraries at Edenhall, to which only senior figures had access, had been a fountain of knowledge for him upon his appointment. It had seemed to be an innocent book depicting the fal'cie.

But he had found it. And now he had to know.

_No more running away._

He pressed the buzzer on his desk.

"Send Rygdea up to me immediately."

"Roger that, General."

Cid waited patiently, until he heard loud footsteps pacing down the corridor.

"What is it now, Cid?"

Rygdea looked thoroughly annoyed. Cid stood up and walked towards him boldly.

"I want you to arrange a meeting with the Primarch..."

Aver's eyes widened.

"You mean...?"

Cid nodded, and Rygdea's face lit up with excitement.

"You're going to confront him...?"

Cid nodded again.

Rygdea smiled, and patted him on the back.

"Well, it's about time! But you won't get an official appointment with him today, he has a summit with the advisers."

Cid looked down towards the book.

"Well then...I'll have to call on him at home..."

"I'll come with you –" Rygdea cut in immediately, looking suddenly restless. Raines grabbed his friend's arm firmly, and shook his head.

"No...I need to do this alone. If... it doesn't go well for me...I need you to be here. To take over things..."

Rygdea nodded, and paced over to the desk.

"What's that..?" he pondered, spotting the book.

"Proof", said Cid calmly.

Rygdea spun round.

"Proof? You have proof?"

"I always had proof, Aver. I just...didn't want to believe it..."

There was silence.

"...But now I do."

For a fleeting moment, all his fear melted away.

"I can't ignore it any longer..."

* * *

**Thanks for reading**


	5. Paranoia

**Thanks again to all my viewers, reviewers, favs and alerts. It's very kind of you ^_^**

**I hope you are enjoying the story so far. **

**None of the characters used belong to me, all rights belong to respective owners. **

* * *

Bodhum beach at sunset was one of the greatest spectacles on all Cocoon. The small town was a thriving tourist resort, and thousands of people flocked to its many hotels and chalets to enjoy a little of what city folk called 'the quiet life'. They came to experience the stereotype of small town living; simple pleasures, good food, friendly people and beautiful views.

What they didn't realise of course, was that underneath the facade of placidity lay the same corrosive mistrust that hung around all people on Cocoon. The lives of Bodhum's natives were often full of grief, hardship, and malice. Lightning considered herself the living proof.

She kneaded the sand between her fingers, expressionlessly gazing towards the horizon. It was the first times in about a week that she'd managed to wear casual clothes for the whole day, and she felt uncomfortable in them. They didn't seem to hang right on her body, and when she'd caught her reflection in the water, she hadn't recognised the girl staring back at her.

Serah had insisted on getting her out of the house, and had dragged her down to the beach. Presently, she was only just within sight, talking to some friends on the promenade. Lightning didn't recognise them. One of them had very ostentatious hair.

_Must be friends of this...boy..._

She shook her head, unwilling to start worrying about her sister's sudden delve into world of romance. She was a little bit more concerned with her bank balance and falling out of favour with Lieutenant Amodar.

But there was something else. Just a feeling. That something wasn't quite right.

For the past few days, she'd had a horrible sense of foreboding. A sense that something bad was on the horizon. At first she thought it might have been the boy, but by all accounts Serah was happy and everything was going well. Then yesterday, she had thought that the missed bonus was the predicted misfortune, and the feeling would fade.

But it had not.

Then her imagination ran away with her. She imagined that she would soon discover she was ill, having contracted some fatal disease that would leave Serah to care for her until her inevitable premature death. Serah would be alone, in that house. No one to take care of her.

Light had already made a will, leaving everything to her sister. In fact, it was one of the first things she'd done upon becoming an adult. She'd revised it several times, making sure that it was absolutely perfect, and that in no way would her sister ever be capable of suffering financially. Sometimes in the night, she would awake in a flurry, run to the cabinet and read over the codicil, just to make sure. Her lawyer had about three copies of it. Lightning had at least seven.

The sun was turning the sky a pale red, and strong rays caught The Vestige and sent an eerie glow across the lapping waves. It was a common sight for anyone who lived locally, but still, Lightning felt a great sense of unease. Looking out at the reddish sea, she realised that her meeting with Cid Raines had made her feeling of foreboding a lot worse. She'd seen in his face that he had felt it too. From what he had said. The way he had gazed off into the distance, as she was doing now.

It caused her great fear.

"Perhaps..." she wondered aloud, turning the sand over, "It's not just something bad for me..."

She could hear her sister's voice on the wind, and the soft padding of footsteps along the ground.

"Perhaps...It's something bad for everyone...?"

_Maybe I'm just being...superstitious. _

"Hey, Light!"

Serah fell into the sand beside her.

"What's up?"

Serah poked her sister in the arm, and received a glare in return.

"I'm just enjoying the view. That a crime?" Light snapped, hastily.

Her younger sister looked a little hurt.

"No..." she said, looking down at the sand, "I was just worried about you, that's all. You've got to relax a little on your day off!"

"Yes, boss..."

Light forced a smile, and Serah shook her head in exasperation.

" Come on!" said the young girl, bouncing back on to her feet, "There's some people I want you to meet..."

Lightning didn't move. Her eyes were transfixed on the horizon. She was growing wearisome of her sister bounding around like a little puppy.

"I'm not in a very social mood today, Serah..."

Her little sister smirked.

"Oh really...? Well you seemed pretty social last night..."

Light's eyes moved slowly and menacingly up towards the young girl.

"Serah!"

"What?"

"This is stupid, I barely know the guy!"

Serah crouched down so she was at eye level with her sister.

"In that case... why is he standing right over there...?"

Light's stomach flipped over.

"What?" she hissed, trying to push her sister out of the way so she could see along the shoreline. Her eyes flicked from person to person, looking for someone who was abnormally tall, or who had strikingly dark hair.

"Don't look!"

Serah shoved her sister, and turned her head away.

"He's ages away, down by the pier. He wasn't wearing uniform or anything but it was definitely him. I had Lebreau creep up to the rocks and check it out."

"Who? Wait! How do you know what he looks like?"

Serah tried to subtly point her sister's head in the right direction.

"You took me to that awards ceremony in Palumpolum. He was there. Remember, I spilt punch on that old woman in the funny hat and she shouted at you and we had to run before she made you pay for her robe..."

"I don't take you to awards ceremonies..."

"Yeah, and that's why..."

Come to think of it, she did remember something of the kind. She was just trying to figure out when exactly it was when she spotted a figure, far off in the distance, which might possibly have been Cid Raines. Tall. Dark. _Alone_.

"That could be anyone, Serah!"

"It's him, trust me."

Light slumped back down into the sand and turned her head towards the sea again.

"So what if it is? If he wanted to talk to me, he could come over here and talk to me..."

Serah squinted at the sun, and smiled.

"Maybe he's just checking up on you? It's quite endearing, really..."

Lightning sighed.

"Yeah...or maybe he's a stalker and a complete basket case..."

Serah wasn't listening anymore; she was too busy looking off down the beach for the dark figure.

"Besides..." Light muttered to herself, "It's probably not even him..."

She felt a shadow across her eyes as something passed overhead.

"Nonetheless...I can't shake the feeling...that someone is watching me..."

* * *

A few hours before midnight, Aver Rygdea's insomnia was becoming more and more pervasive. His stomach was knotted in several places, and he lay back on his hard sofa and breathed deeply in an attempt to make it settle. No luck. Pulling himself upright he rolled his head back along the groove of the backrest. No luck there either. His eyes were dry; when he tried to close them, the moisture made his whole face sting. Wrenching them open again, he saw with some disdain that his meagre apartment looked even more shabby than usual in the dim light. The curtains were showing stains and rips, and the carpet, once a bright cream colour, was now faded grey and patchy, and covered in his discarded clothes from the previous day. Yesterday's dirty dishes were still piled up on the table. He could almost picture his mother rolling over in her grave.

_Cid..._

He couldn't bear the thought that all the action could be going on right now at this moment, and he couldn't even be there to back up his comrade.

"It's as much my fight as it is his..." he wondered aloud.

In fact, he suspected it was more his battle than his commander's. He was the one with the flare, and the passion to make things right. It just so happened that Cid, as the one with power and influence, was the man that everyone paid attention to. As a young political activist in college, he'd longed for the day when he reached these echelons of the military. He vaguely recalled his job interview for the Response Unit.

Cid Raines had appeared to him as a man who was almost too diplomatic, but he had to admit that he was impressed by his composure. When Rygdea had openly discussed his involvement in anti-sanctum protests and grassroots activism, in a gruff voice and with great courage for a man being considered for a high-ranking job, Cid Raines had merely sat calmly, and listened. Aver had scolded himself afterwards for being so abrupt. He nearly hit the ceiling when he discovered he'd been given the job.

What was it that Cid had said to him today?

"_If it doesn't go well for me...I need you to be here. To take over things..."_

So, had the General named his successor?

The sense of pride that Aver felt almost overcame his nerves. After a short sleep, everything may be changed. The thought made him both exited and anxious.

Thinking fast, he decided to be prepared. He shoved a few essentials and a change of clothes into a sports bag and put it by the door, just in case tomorrow he had to run away for fear of being obliterated by government assassins.

He hoped beyond hope that Cid was okay.

* * *

Lightning turned.

_What's happening to me?_

She couldn't sleep.

_Why is he following me?_

It was unlike her to be unable to answer her own questions, but her feelings of dread and the mystery of Cid weighed heavily on her mind. The sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach was worse now than ever before. She sighed deeply, listening to the therapeutic sound of the rain hitting the walls of her house.

_I'm not afraid. _

How unconvincing.

_It's just paranoia_

Pulling the covers tighter around herself, she thought of Serah. She thought of what her mother and father might say, if they could see her here, curled up in a ball and plagued with doubt. Could they forgive her for being so weak?

Her mother's honeyed voice roamed across her mind, echoing back and forth.

"_Thinking alone never solves anything..."_

She felt her heart flutter.

_My mother is dead._

_But her words are immortal. _

_Keep your cool, and everything will be fine._

She didn't believe herself. Her mother wouldn't have believed her either.

* * *

**Thanks for reading.**


	6. Fallen Souls

**Thank you for all the views and reviews ^_^ You are all greatly appreciated. **

**This is my favourite chapter so far, so I hope you like it.**

**None of the characters belong to me. All rights belong to respective owners. **

* * *

Rain fell in torrents, splashing down onto the pathway and streaming down the masonry. The moon was hidden behind the clouds, and the only light that lit the stone courtyard was the faint orange glow from the windows of the manor off in the distance. The plants were bent crooked from the weight of the water, liquid running off the leaves and forming puddles on the concrete slabs, and a cold breeze caused them tremble gently. It may have been a pleasant place in daylight, but at night, macabre oozed from the walls, and the hollowness of wealth emanated from the grand edifices, amalgamated with the melancholy whistle of the wind in the leaves.

He had stood there for at least ten minutes, but it felt like longer. The long black coat did barely anything to protect him from the rain, which ran across his brow and trickled down his neck, soaking his clothes from the inside out. Cid Raines had surpassed coldness. His skin was tense, and it took every finely honed muscle in his body to prevent himself from shaking. Eyes closed, he let the water run over his face, imagining that it cleansed him of his fear, and took it streaming away across the paving.

He didn't know why he'd gone to see her.

In his mind, he knew all this had something to do with Lightning Farron.

Maybe it was madness; grasping at straws in an attempt to understand what was going on, not just in his life, but in the whole of Cocoon.

"If I'm right..." he whispered to the wind, tasting the rainwater on his lips.

_If I'm right..._

"Maybe...I will require...'hushing-up' ..."

He wasn't sure how it was possible, but Cid suddenly felt colder. The thought of his impending death caused his stomach to turn.

_But if I do..._

"Then, Aver...he will know...for sure..."

_And he will lead the unit to victory. He will avenge me. He will usurp Dysley. _

The thought comforted him. Rygdea would be enraged by his death. So enraged, he would be able to start the battle that Cid had been too scared to initiate. His passion...it would change everything.

Cid looked up, and saw in the distance the lights of the city. Somewhere out there, millions of people were sleeping in their beds, totally unaware... Young people were out drinking, children were safely tucked in, couples were making love...all completely unaware. It made him wonder about the things of great political significance that went on every day that he knew nothing about.

_Ignorance truly is bliss._

"But knowledge...though painful...is necessary..."

_A lot like love, really. _

He felt the ground shake a little, and a loud series of chimes rang out across the city.

_Midnight._

He took it as a sign that it was time to go.

Moving swiftly across the courtyard, he decided that it was better not to think, until his legs carried him all the way up to the tall dark wood door. At eye level there was a brass knocker in the shape of a lion's head, its eyes glaring at him malevolently. He raised a steady hand, and rapped upon the door.

A long moment passed, before the heavy door creaked upon.

"Good evening, may I help you, sir?"

A tall thin man, mid-fifties, dressed in a formal suit and sporting a keen squint, eyed the rain-soaked dark haired man upon the doorstep.

"My name is Cid Raines. I'm the acting General of the Response Brigade...I'm here to see Galenth Dysley..."

His voice was hoarse, and he knew that his anxiety was apparent in his wavering tones.

"Is he expecting you, sir?"

The butler seemed a little intimidated by the sudden seriousness that flashed across the stranger's face.

"Yes," said Cid, defiantly, "I think he is..."

_Of course he is..._

"Very well, sir. If you come in, I shall see if he's awake."

The butler stepped aside, and Cid Raines gingerly stepped in, glad to be out of the rain.

For a moment the light hurt his eyes, but when he looked around, he saw an ornate, lavishly decorated entrance hall, with a staircase that lined the walls and a crystal chandelier that dangled through the centre. Cid moved forward and stood beneath it, looking up at the roof above him. There must have been at least six storeys.

"If you'd like to follow me, sir..."

The butler began to ascend the stairs. As they walked together, Raines felt the eyes from the ancient paintings following him, his sight impaired by the strange light from the side lamps. He tried to remember the way, in case he had to run back. Although what good running would do, he didn't know.

The butler pulled open another large door, and turned into a long hall with wood panel walls, and a red carpet runner across the floor. He followed the trail of lights down the corridor, and saw what he knew to be the entrance way to Dysley's quarters.

The butler led him down the hall, then stood in front of the door and turned, as though to block his way in.

"If you wait here sir, I'll see if the Primarch is ready to see you..."

The butler disappeared, and Cid was left alone in the ominous hallway, albeit briefly. He could've sworn that he heard a brief flurry of laughter through the door.

"He will see you now, if you'd like to go through..."

The next thing he knew, the heavy door was shut behind him, and he found himself in a dimly lit room, full of books. Dysley was perched in an armchair, facing the open fire, his back to his visitor. Cid couldn't see it, but he felt the eyes of the bird upon him.

"I always knew you were a brave man..."

The voice of the Primarch seemed to echo across the ethers. It had an ethereal, metallic quality to it.

Cid took a few steps towards the back of the luxurious armchair.

"I suppose...by 'brave' you mean...stupid?"

The Primarch laughed menacingly.

"In a sense...they're one and the same..."

Dysley stood, and took a few strides towards the fireplace. The flickering of the flames caused his shadow to dance, casting darkness across the face of the man behind him.

"You can sit, if you'd like..."

"I'd rather stand."

Cid knew the Primarch could feel his fear, but an inoculating bravery overcame him, and he stood firm.

"I'm sorry about my little trick with the key..." he said quietly, without sounding at all apologetic, "It was Menrva's idea, you see. She predicted that you would play right into our hands..."

Angered, Cid took a step boldly towards the old man.

"You...?"

Dysley continued to stand with his back to the young General. Raines wished eagerly he could see the expression on the man's face, but was reluctant to step any closer.

"And here you are..." the Primarch mused, "As she said you would be..."

The gravity of the situation began to dawn on Cid.

_It's true..._

_How can it be true?_

"How-?"

"Oh, it's simple really..." Dysley interrupted, "Humans are so vulnerable to suggestion...And you are a strong man...Of great importance...Having control over you...Well, it is invaluable to me..."

The elderly man placed what appeared to be a wine glass on the mantelpiece.

"You will follow the script that I have written for you, Raines... It's a supporting role, admittedly, but...without it...the show could never go on..."

For a long moment, there was silence. Cid could feel Dysley's words coming, and he waited for the revelation with dread.

"_You_..." the Primarch hissed, "_You_...will help me destroy Cocoon..."

Cid felt the blood drain from his face.

"No! I – I won't - !"

Galenth Dysley raised a hand, as though to silence him, and sighed, his old shoulders falling.

"I'm so very...tired..."

He moved his head from side to side, resting his hands on the mantelpiece, and looked up at a grand painting of beautiful blue goddess.

"I'm so very tired of this body...So very tired of waiting..."

His low murmur became a malicious growl.

"Watching people be born, and die. Born only to die...Yet I am granted no death, Cid. I am given no such honour..."

He turned suddenly, and stared straight into Cid's eyes.

"You will help me summon him..._the Maker_..."

Something about Dysley's glare paralysed him, and General Raines could do nothing but hold his gaze, and tremble gently from strain.

"What did Barthandelus have, Raines?"

Dysley's voice jumped through different tones and octaves. His eyes darkened and lightened. His skin loosened and tightened, making his face youthful, and then suddenly old again.

He returned the power of speech to Cid.

"A...rukh...?"

Raines felt the gust of wind as the bird flew over his shoulder, to land on Dysley's outstretched hand.

A smooth, female voice reverberated across his mind.

_Embrace thy fate...thine home to burn..._

"I suppose you wonder why I chose you..."

Cid could hear singing, and tubular bells, ringing louder and louder in his ears. The colour was draining from his vision, and the walls were spinning, lengthening and contracting.

"I suppose you want to know what happens now..."

_SHUT UP! LET ME MOVE!_

A grin spread across Dysley's changing face.

"But you already know..."

Suddenly, the Primarch seemed to divide and duplicate. Cid was surrounded by a circle of ghostly faces. Their lips opening in unison, their changing faces speaking with the woman's voice...

"_Fear child followed by the silver rukh, for you are watched by fal'cie..."_

The ghosts took a step forward.

Cid Raines screamed. His face contorted in agony, and he wailed as he felt stabbing pains in his chest, but he couldn't hear himself over the cacophony of voices and dissonant bell chimes.

_SHUT UP!_

The bells thundered. The voices shrieked.

"_And so l'cie mark on thine body be!"_

The ghosts joined together to form a dark shape, with golden eyes.

_This is it..._

The figure roared, and lunged forward.

It pounced upon his hand...

_SHUT UP! _

* * *

Suddenly nothing.

Suddenly falling, falling, through a teal abyss.

Cid's pain dissolved in his blood, and he could feel nothing.

Euphoria.

"_Am I dead...?"_

The air felt like water, rippling around him, but he could breathe it, and feel it cooling him inside.

Stone faces stared, and more bells rang, only this time somewhere far off in the darkness. He couldn't see his own body.

Only his hand.

His glowing hand.

The glow grew bigger. The noise grew louder.

A loud bang, and a flash, and suddenly he could see everything.

Colourless pictures flashed in front of his eyes.

He saw the destruction of Cocoon.

Swarms of people running and screaming. Endless blood, and death. Voices sang.

"_To summon the maker..._

_Ragnarok! Come day of wrath!"_

He saw the faces of people he didn't know. A young boy. A tall woman. A young girl. Two men. Brands glowing and hissing on their bodies. Their faces changed, and suddenly...crystal.

"_Hasten the divine's return_

_O piteous wanderer..."_

And then...

Sapphires.

Piercing through the gulf between planes.

_Her..._

Her heart was glowing.

"_LIGHTNING!"_

He reached for her.

A sudden excruciating pain shocked his entire body.

And then...

_Oblivion. _

* * *

**Thanks for reading. **


	7. Arise

**Thanks again to all my viewers and reviewers ^_^.**

**I hope you are enjoying the story so far.**

**None of the characters are mine. All rights belong to respecive owners.**

* * *

Lightning was slowly waking up; she could feel the ability to move returning to her body, and her eyes opened a little. It wasn't light enough to be dawn, but there was something hovering in her peripheral vision that was causing her to stir gently from her fear-wrought sleep, and her instincts were screaming at her to move. She could see her room, and realised that she'd been woken by the beam of light from the doorway. The gulls were hollering outside her window, so she reckoned it must be morning, but her home was still shadowed a dusky sky. A familiar figure wandered gently over to her, and placed something on the bedside table.

"Herbal tea," Serah whispered, crouching and leaning over her sister, "It'll be good for you..."

The sleepy soldier groaned, and tried to sit up. Serah placed a firm hand on her shoulder and pushed her down.

"Stop it!" Lightning growled, "I need to get to work!"

Serah shook her head.

"You're not going to work today. You're staying in bed and getting better. Doctor's orders..."

"Which doctor?"

Serah put her hand on Lightning's forehead and pulled the covers tighter.

"Doctor Serah."

Amodar's disappointed face flashed across Lightning's mind. Her whole body was aching and her head throbbed from getting so little sleep, but no matter what the circumstance, she always got up and went to work. There was no two ways about it. However, Serah was beginning to stroke her hair gently in a way that was incredibly soothing. A strong aroma of herbs filled her senses, and she began to feel a comforting disorientation. The soft brushing made her sleepiness even more prevalent, and she sighed in defeat, looking up at her sister's benevolent face

"I can't...afford...to take the day off..."

Serah shook her head.

"I'll call in for you. They'll understand, don't worry..."

She leaned forward and kissed her sister's cheek.

"I'm going to go to school in a little while. I've made a little brunch for when you get up. Just promise me you won't go out today? You need to look after yourself. What would I do if anything happened to you?"

_Poor, na_ï_ve Serah. _

Lightning faintly heard her little sister shuffling away. She wanted to say goodbye, but drifted away to sleep before she got the chance.

* * *

Cid awoke in his apartment.

On the floor, he noticed, rather than on the bed.

He could tell by the light it was early afternoon, but his eyelids seemed to be the only part of his body willing to move. Sprawled on his back, he could feel stabbing pains in his limbs. His ribs seemed to have contracted, and he heaved his chest in an attempt to breathe. Everything hurt.

_What...happened?_

His faculties returned suddenly, and he jolted bolt upright, his memory of the previous night flooding back into his mind.

"No!"

Surely it had all been a nightmare? It couldn't have been real...

_His hand._

He could feel it burning...

With a feeling of abject dread, his gaze meandered slowly downwards. The mark stretched across the back of his hand. A large dark symbol, arrows shooting out from a closed eye in the centre. When it opened...

_The end._

C'eith. Or crystal.

"...my...focus...?"

To destroy cocoon.

Suddenly, Lightning Farron's face filled his mind. He could see her eyes piercing him, glaring at him with anger and menace, a fiery glow from her chest. Wraithlike and ethereal, she had accosted him an ephemeral callousness which dissolved into hopelessness. In that moment, it had seemed like she hated him, but he couldn't understand why. He ran through the events of the previous night in his mind, trying to remember everything that Dysley had said.

_I can't...I can't be a L'cie!_

At worst, Cid Raines had expected to die. This was far worse.

"He said...something about..._the Maker..." _

Cid scratched the floorboards in angst.

_A supporting role?_

He was so weak, the exertion of trying to get up made him tremble violently. Stumbling backward, he landed in an ungainly position on the floor.

The ringing of bells still sounded in his ears, screeching quietly and worsening his aching head. A shrill tone was reverberating across his senses. It took him a whole few moments to realize what it was.

_The phone._

He was too weak to get up and answer it, so he let it ring for what seemed like aeons, before it finally stopped. Enjoying the transient peace it allowed, he began to drift back to sleep again. However, the chance to recuperate was short-lived, as the phone began to ring again.

_Urghhh...go away..._

Cid rolled over and dragged himself across the floor to the source of the noise. His cell phone was on the desk.

Leaning against the wall, he stretched and aching arm up and grabbed the vibrating device, clenching it tensely in his hand.

He squinted, and saw that, as he suspected, it was Rygdea who was calling him.

_21 missed calls._

Cid Raines cleared his throat, and pressed a button.

"R-aines...speaking..."

"_What the hell is wrong with you?" _growled Rygdea's husky tones, "_I thought you were dead!"_

"Almost...But not quite..."

Rygdea's relief didn't last long.

"_You sound...dreadful...You're not lying in a ditch right now are you?"_

"If that's what we're calling my apartment now..."

Rygdea laughed nervously, still not quite reassured.

"_Are you coming into work today then? We need to talk..."_

The worried man could hear his commander coughing rigorously on the other end of the line.

"Just...let me get myself together...I'll...explain...When I get there..."

Cid hung up without saying goodbye, and the phone clattered onto the floor as his wrist went limp. He knew that he wasn't presentable enough to show up at the aerodrome, and he mentally counted the steps to the bathroom.

After a small sleep, he managed to pull himself upright, still leaning on the wall. Opening one of the lowboy drawers, he downed whatever painkillers he could find and clawed his way to the bathroom. He turned on the shower and sat in it, fully clothed, and let the cold water rush over him. Groaning at the odd sensation, he let the liquid cool his aching muscles.

_I saw the future._

_She...will be a l'cie. _

_Like me. _

It hurt his head to think about.

He remembered the screaming, the running and the blood. The end of all life on Cocoon. But why...?

Why did Dysley want to destroy Cocoon?

_What does he expect me to do._...?

'_Supporting role?'_

The l'cies' focus is to destroy the world.

"I have to help them..."

Cid Raines growled, tasting the harsh water on his tongue.

"I have to protect...Lightning..."

* * *

Rygdea deigned to allow himself entry to Cid's office, and was pacing up and down in front of his desk, waiting.

It was three hours since he'd called. Aver felt sick to his stomach; Raines had not sounded good. He was starting to wonder whether Dysley had maimed him in some way.

_Could he really be a fal'cie?_

General Raines seemed to be sure of himself, and if there was one person in this world that had Rygdea's trust, it was him. He knew that Cid was a good man. He had faith in him to do the right thing.

After spending the whole night on tenterhooks, without getting a wink of sleep, Rygdea was trying not to let his fatigue overcome him. He listened to the soft press of his shoes upon the metal floor and tried to match them to the rhythm of his heart. _Keep calm, and carry on. _He ran his hand through his hair and felt the grease. The reflection he caught in the window glass looked rough, at best. Rygdea looked like the sort of man that people crossed the street to get away from. The look of disdain he'd been given by the aerodrome guard had been evidence enough, but he didn't care. He needed to speak to Cid. He needed to know what the next move was.

Cid's heavy brown book still lay on his desk. Out of curiosity, he reached out, and dusted his hand lightly across its soft leather cover. He enjoyed the feel, until his hand grazed the emblem on the front, which was harsh in texture and scratched against his skin. He lifted his fingers to pull back the cover when he heard the noise of the door opening behind him.

"Cid!"

The General framed the doorway, clad in his usual silver robes, but with a face like death. His eyes were dark and haggard, and his mouth twisted awkwardly so that he bore his front teeth in what appeared to be a snarl. Despite his ghastly appearance, Rygdea immediately noticed something different about Cid, although he couldn't quite place what it was.

"Sorry to keep you waiting...Aver..."

He strode right past him, and lowered himself into his chair. Rygdea stared at him, waiting patiently for an explanation. Cid Raines said nothing.

"So what happened?"

Cid was picking up the book and replacing it in the drawer.

"What happened when?"

Rygdea almost couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Last night! What happened last night? Is it...as we feared...?"

An ominous aura shrouded the room. Rygdea's breathing was far too loud.

"Yes..." was Cid Raines' simple response. For his partner, it was infuriatingly minimalist, but Rygdea remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"Moreover..." Cid stared out across the aerodrome, "I don't believe he has our best interests at heart..."

Rygdea slammed his fist on the desk in frustration.

"What the hell does that mean? Why did he give us all the funding if-"

"- I didn't mean 'our' as in the Response Brigade..." interrupted Cid, calmly, "I mean that Dysley seems to wish ill...to all of Cocoon. And he seems to think...that we are going to cause it..."

"So then do something!"

Rygdea could feel the bile rising in his gullet. He couldn't believe it.

"So..." Aver began, "He knows that we know that he's...a fal'cie..."

Cid nodded.

"That's correct."

Rygdea drifted deep into thought. None of it made any sense to him.

"Cid..." his voice was strained, a flicker of emotion audible, "What did he do to you...?"

_I'm so sorry, Aver. I know you trust me._

_I know you'd follow me to hell and back. _

_But I'm too weak._

"Nothing..."

The lie stung bitterly. His throat swelled, and for a moment, Cid Raines felt that he might cry. He had never lied to Rygdea before, and it hurt him irrevocably. Fortunately, he was too tired to show his emotion.

"Well then..." Aver announced with a hint of finality in his voice, "I think it's about time that we began planning our modus operandi for attacking the sanctum..."

Cid Raines seemed to nod motionlessly.

"Yes. That would be wise..."

Rygdea had expected a little more flair from his commander, but he imagined that he was still a little shaken. He could hear his own blood thrusting through his veins in anticipation.

_It's actually going to happen, Aver. _

_Humans...free of fal'cie forever. _

"We'll talk about it some more tomorrow..." said Rygdea, trying to sound assertive, "Go home, Cid. I can handle things today. You look like you could use the rest..."

Again, no reply from Cid.

He felt that the novelty of his presence had worn off, and he gave the General one last rueful stare before letting himself out of the office and heading towards the crew quarters. Shoulders slumped, he wanted desperately to be under some running water. As he was walking, he pondered his master's behaviour, passing many different soldiers as he did so, all of them wearing their garbs in various shades of grey. Suddenly, it occurred to him what he had found strange upon seeing his friend that afternoon.

It was such an odd thing for him to notice, but Rygdea saw that man every day, and he had begun to realise when even the smallest detail of his repertoire changed. It couldn't have been significant but...

_Cid Raines was wearing gloves. _

* * *

**Thanks for reading.**


	8. Everything Falls

**Thanks for all the interest guys ^_^ I'm thankful for all the views and reviews. **

**I hope you are all enjoying the fic so far :D I certainly enjoy writing it**

_**Nothing belongs to me, all rights belong to respective owners. **_

* * *

Lightning Farron's day had dragged on mercilessly. As much as she tried to relax, that horrible feeling was clouding her senses, coupled with the guilt of missing work. Unable to eat any food, she'd spent the whole afternoon drinking coffee and looking out of the window: the TV seemed to hurt her eyes. It was odd, she admitted to herself, that she was still mentally denying the fact that she was ill. She had an indignant view of painkillers, and had suffered greatly for it on many occasions: the little packets of pills sat collecting dust in her cupboards. If she was home, Serah would be forcing them down her throat, along with some ghastly herbal concoction.

Finishing what she thought must have been her fourth cup of coffee, she noticed that the sun was going down on the sea horizon, and that Serah would be home soon. If she was going to convince her sister that she had recovered, she needed to clean up a bit. Lightning had a hot bath and changed into some clean clothes, hoping to appear a little less dishevelled. She cleaned up any mess in the kitchen and tried to make it look like she'd spent the day doing housework rather than fretting continuously.

She was thinking of cooking something for dinner when she heard the doorbell ring.

_Silly child's forgotten her key again. _

Marching to the front door, she turned the latch and swung it open.

"Would you stop losing your keys? I'm not getting the locks changed aga -"

She stopped. A dark shadow fell across her face.

Cid Raines' large frame filled her doorway, cutting off all sources of light.

"Oh..." she mumbled, trying not to sound as though he'd startled her, " It's you..."

He looked weary, eyes darkened as though rimmed with charcoal, and his hollowed cheeks were tinged purple. Jaw contorted, he look as though he was trying to smile, but his fatigue was not easily concealed. Something about his expression made Light's stomach turn; he had a handsome face, but an ominous aura. It made her feel suddenly uneasy.

_What does he want with me?_

"I know this isn't exactly bumping into each other, but...there's something I need to...speak with you about..."

Lightning almost pitied him, before she realised that she probably looked just as forlorn.

"You'd better come in then..."

The young woman stepped back and allowed the slouched form of General Raines into the hallway. She guided him towards the kitchen, and gestured for him to sit down, which he did, uncomfortably.

"Coffee?" she asked, trying to eradicate some of the silence. It was hard not to be curious about his intentions, but she wasn't going to pounce upon him just yet. He was here to speak to her, and she would let him speak.

Raines nodded enthusiastically.

Lightning poured the coffee into cups in silence, before placing one in front of the man and sitting opposite him. She wondered what Serah would say if she were to walk into the room at this very moment.

_I'd never hear the end of it..._

That reminded her...

"My sister thinks you're stalking me..." Lightning said casually, sipping her coffee gently, holding her cup in both hands. It wasn't a traditional ice-breaker, but it was the only thing she could think of to say.

He seemed a little taken aback at that remark.

"Sorry... I came to check on you. I think I saw you, I'm not sure. I definitely saw your sister, though."

Lightning raised her eyebrows, and gave the man a sly glance.

"And how do you know my sister?"

Cid wiped his mouth.

"She poured a drink on some socialite at a ceremony once, caused quite a scene."

"That's not the way she tells it..."

Lightning was relieved to see something of a real smile of the man's face. She continued to sip her coffee gently and quietly, waiting for Cid to get to the point, but he seemed reluctant to talk. Meanwhile, she began sifting through the possible reasons for his visit. There was the obvious one, of course: to ask her out.

_Do people usually look so depressed when they're chatting to a girl they like? _

They would often look nervous, but not depressed. Not until she rejected them anyway, and right now Cid Raines was very much still in the game, and had everything to play for. _So why the long face?_

Then of course, the other possibility; he had some terrible, life-changing news. The kind that she had been anticipating for the last few days. That certainly would explain the face, although why he should look so upset about something bad happening to her she couldn't understand.

The suspense was killing her.

After waiting a suitable time, she put her coffee cup down, and gave him a long stare.

"So what brings you here?" Light asked nonchalantly, but underneath her guise Cid Raines could feel her anxiety.

"Well..." he mumbled, folding his hands, "I don't want you to be alarmed, because I may be wrong and it may be just me being...paranoid...but lately..."

Cid Raines eyes moved to hers.

"I've been thinking that something bad is going to happen..."

_Great. _Lightning felt her throat tighten.

_Him too?_

"And what's that got to do with me?" she asked irritably, swirling the liquid in her cup.

"Maybe nothing, but...I can't tell you why...In case I'm wrong..."

She shook her head.

"That's an awfully windy reason to come all the way down here," she mused, watching as Cid became more and more unsettled. Something queer was going on, and she was going to press him until she got an answer.

"Are you suggesting that I have an ulterior motive?"

"Don't you?"

She'd called him out. His mind suddenly filled with a million things to say to her, but the logical side of his brain reprimanded him, and he remained silent, until she spoke again.

"So what am I in danger from?"

Cid wanted desperately to tell her everything. He needed someone to confide in and didn't know a single person who he could trust to keep it a secret.

_I am a monster. I am going to help destroy Cocoon._

He imagined himself saying the words. He imagined the look on her face.

"I don't really know, and even if I did...I couldn't tell you..."he said, trying to appear calm, "It could just be my imagination...But, I need you to be careful, and keep a watchful eye out at all times..."

He took a piece of paper and pen from his pocket and began to scrawl on it, before folding it up and sliding it across the table.

"If anything strange happens, I want you to call me. Don't bother calling anyone else – you won't get listened to. Even if it's only something little..."

Lightning looked at him warily, and took the paper.

"My cell phone and apartment number are on there..."

"Apartment?" Lightning downed the rest of her coffee, "I thought a bigwig like you would have a house..."

He smiled.

"It's a nice apartment."

"I bet."

She cleared the coffee cups away, feeling a bit confused. As she washed her hands in the sink, she looked out of the window and over the beach, to the setting sun.

"Actually..." she mused, turning to look Cid, who was pulling his hands through his hair, "Now that you mention it...I have had the feeling lately that...someone's been watching me..."

Cid gazed at her, a grave look suddenly flooding his eyes.

"Other than you, I mean..." she added, smiling.

He stood suddenly, pulling himself to his full height, and placed a hand tentatively on her shoulder.

"I don't know if you trust me or not..." his voice was breaking, "But if you see anything unordinary...like a shady character...or a strange silvery bird...just call me..."

She looked thoroughly confused. The perplexed look on her face was almost adorable.

"Strange silvery bird?"

_He's insane. Has to be. _

"Sorry, you'll have to forgive me..."

He slowly let his arm fall to his side.

"I'm...not very well at the moment..."

Lightning nodded. _Neither am I..._

"I understand, Cid. If anything happens...I'll let you know..."

He half-smiled , and held her gaze for a long moment. Her hair was shiny but untidy, hanging unarranged about her shoulders, and her eyes again seemed to stand out from her pale skin.

"It's like...when we first met..."

"Sorry? "

"Nothing...just, your hair..."

"What?"

She saw a strange look on his face that she didn't recognise. Within a second, it vanished, and the usual crestfallen expression replaced it. He took a few steps back.

"Goodbye, Light..."

He almost ran out of the house.

* * *

Menrva was whistling a little tune to herself on her perch. Something about the events of the last few days had left her in a good mood, and she found herself chirping happily, as she waited for Dysley to return from the day's duties. When he did finally saunter in and fall into his armchair, he had his usual smirk on his face.

"Hello, precious..." he purred, holding out his hand to her. Enthused, she jumped off her perch and flew over, curling her claws around his fingers. With his other hand, he stroked her breast feathers, and watched as she squirmed in delight.

"Stage Two of the plan has begun. Raines will do as we dictate. All is going to plan..."

Dysley's smirk broadened out into a large grin, and Menvra's deep green eyes gave him a steely glare. He could see the malice that they both felt, and the anticipation. Soon, they would get what they had spent thousands of years waiting for. Soon their destinies would be fulfilled. Excited, she began to circle the room, hooting happily.

Dysley reached out to the mahogany table in front of him, and grabbed a small box that lay upon it. A games box, with silver clasps and hinges. From it, he pulled out some small, white pieces, and began to place them one after the other in a long line around the table.

"You see...all it takes is one little push..."

With a sweeping hand movement, Dysley knocked one of the dominoes.

"...and everything falls..."

He watched them topple one by one, his smile turning to laughter.

"I am the puppet master!"

He felt Menrva land on his shoulder.

"It's time for me to pull the strings..."

* * *

**Thank you for reading :) **


	9. Deception

**Herro everyone ^_^ I've been away for a while so I apologise for this chapter taking so long to be uploaded.**

**It's here now, and another one will follow it shortly. Thanks again to all viewers and reviewers =] **

**All rights belong to respective owners. **

* * *

"It's beautiful, isn't it, Serah?"

The younger Farron, having departed from her boyfriend's apartment, had found herself standing facing the sea. She had been deep in thought, wondering about her sister's health, and feeling guilty about the fact that she'd been fraternizing with Snow while she was home alone. Serah was so dedicated to her studies, she'd begun to neglect him a bit. Whenever she had to stay late after class, he'd pout like a little girl, wrap his arms around her and not let go until she begged him. He was older than she was so he didn't go to school, and he didn't have a real job. As a result, he had a lot of free time with which to call her, follow her, and just generally make her feel guilty about being so busy. Finally, she'd given in, and after school, bought an armful of take-out food and showed up on his doorstep. _Men are very easy to please._

Anyway, as she'd been thinking, someone must have snuck up on her unawares, because she turned to find a young girl, with long silver hair and a vibrant smile, stood a little ways behind her.

"Oh yes, it's nice..." she said, smiling contently, "How...do you know my name?"

The girl stepped gently forward, and rested her arms on the railings.

"We've met before...I thought you might not remember me...my name is Lilith..."

Serah saw that the girl was her own age, fashionably dressed, and had bright green eyes that reflected the sunlight beautifully. She tried to think where she might have met her before, but produced nothing but a blank stare.

"I'm sorry – I.."

The girl smiled sweetly, and touched Serah's shoulder.

"You remember now, don't you?"

The green eyes glowed, and stared at her in an inhuman way.

_No, I don't..._

"Of course I do... Lilith..."

She didn't know why she was saying it. Something about the way the girl was looking at her...so...persuasive.

_Maybe I do know her..._

"Of course you remember me, we had such a great time together..."

Serah could feel a strange sensation coming over her.

"Yes...we did have a good time..."

Lilith removed her hand from Serah's shoulder and turned her head slowly towards the horizon. The wind caught her hair and whipped it behind her, softly brushing against Serah's cheek. The girl had a calming aura about her, and all Serah's woes and fears were suddenly eased. Her thoughts drifted from Snow and Lightning to peaceful meadows, and sunny skies. She rested her head on her hand, and felt as though she might drift off to sleep, if it weren't for the breeze distracting her.

"I do love the sky..." she murmured, sighing in tranquillity.

Lilith nodded.

"Of course you do...but it's not the most beautiful thing...is it, Serah?"

Serah's placid face twisted in confusion.

"It isn't?"

Lilith smiled, and shook her head.

"No, Serah," she whispered, her sing-song voice being carried by the wind, "Life..."

"Life?"

"Yes. Life is the most beautiful thing, and it's all around us...as is death..."

The girl put her arm around Serah's shoulder. Remarkably, she didn't feel unnerved at the gesture.

"You're talking about..."

"The Vestige... a memory of all our war dead...all of the people who died for Cocoon, they all had families who grieved for them..."

Serah nodded solemnly.

"The colours..." Serah said, staring intently at the giant structure out in the water, "They're so...enchanting..."

Lilith took a few steps towards the walkway, and turned, holding out a hand to Serah.

"Want to take a closer look?"

The girl's green eyes were filled with happiness, and as Serah stared into them, she felt suddenly safe, as though nothing, and no one, could harm her. The sensation was overwhelming; the beauty of the world struck her with all its might, and she drank in the smell of the seawater, the cawing of the gulls and the light glittering across the lapping waves.

A quiet voice in the back of her mind gave a curt warning, but she barely heard it.

"Yes...Let's go..."

* * *

After his awkward visit to see Lightning, Cid was ready to crawl into a hole and never emerge. It was unlike him to skulk around bars feeling sorry for himself, something he hadn't done since his early twenties, but he really didn't want to go home and be alone just yet. He'd had difficulty trying not to come across as some creepy stalker pervert, but there was no way of avoiding it when he couldn't explain. He couldn't tell her what he was.

_You mustn't tell anyone what you are._

He'd read about what happened to L'cie. He knew that as soon as anyone found out, it would be the end of his life as he knew it. After he'd worked so hard to get to the top of his profession, he would lose it all before he had a chance to protect Cocoon.

_Aren't L'cie supposed to have powers?_

Since his transformation, he'd only felt weaker. He'd not been able to eat or drink anything, and he trembled a little if he stood still for too long. All he could do was sleep, and dream.

Collapsing onto his bed, he shut his eyes, and tried to drift off. The sick feeling in his stomach subsided a little, but the colourless images were still stuck firmly to his eyelids. He tried to think of other things; Rygdea's actions, Lightning's kitchen, Dysley's butler. Anything to occupy his mind. He pictured the coffee cup he'd held that afternoon, and heard Lightning's tired voice as he sipped it. But then he made the mistake of looking up from the cup, and seeing her deep blue eyes.

He sat upright.

_This isn't going to work. _

As he stood back up again, he felt something vibrate in his pocket, and a horrible, shrill tone.

For some reason it filled him with dread.

* * *

It was dark.

She was _always _home by dark.

Lightning dialled Serah's cell again.

It rang for a little while, and then went to voicemail.

"Serah, where the hell are you? This is the eighth time I'm calling and you should be home now. Call me, I need to know where you are. CALL ME NOW!"

She threw the phone onto the kitchen table in frustration. _Where the hell was she? _Why would she do this? Serah would know that she would be freaking out by this hour, and her little sister was no delinquent.

"This boy...has to be..."

She'd tried several of her sister's friends; none of them knew where she was. Light realised that there was only one solution, and that was to try and contact the boyfriend. It didn't help that she didn't know his name, number, or what he looked like. Serah's school friends hadn't known much about him either; apparently he didn't go to school, a thought that filled Lightning with unease. The guy was beginning to sound more and more like some unreliable layabout.

Unable to control herself, Lightning stormed through the house, and began to raid her sister's room. She knew the address book would be in here somewhere; she'd seen Serah carrying it about. A small pink thing with a puppy on the front. _It has to be here..._

Before she realised what she was doing, Light was pulling files off shelves and yanking covers off the bed, frantically searching without caring about the damage. Serah would freak when she came back.

_If she came back._

Just when she was about to give up, she saw it pointing out from beneath the bed. Lunging forward like a tiger, she snatched the thing up and began frantically searching through it.

_Adams, Ben_

_Banna, Felix_

_Brown, Matthew_

The address book was full of people, many of them boys. She flicked through, desperately looking for some kind of clue. _Nothing, nothing nothing. _

_Wait! _

She flicked back a few pages.

_Villiers. _

No first name, but Serah had doodled snowflakes and hearts all around it.

"If you were trying to keep this a secret, Serah, you failed miserably..."

Lightning punched the number into her cell, and sat amongst the mess as she heard it ring.

"_Hey, what's up?"_

He had a rich baritone voice.

"My name is...Amber, I'm a friend of Serah Farron's. We were supposed to be meeting, but I can't get hold of her. A guy gave me your number, I was wondering if you knew where she was?"

She didn't want to risk telling him who she really was. The last thing she wanted was the guy asking questions.

"_Oh, sorry. She was here a couple of hours ago, but she went home to see her sister..."_

"She's not there? When did she leave?"

"_Just before sundown. Is there some kind of trouble? Is she okay?"_

"Oh...no, it's fine...She probably just forgot...I wouldn't worry about it..."

"_Okay, well, sorry I couldn't help..."_

"Okay, bye..."

"_See ya!" _

Her stomach was twisted in agony. _She's not there. She left hours ago and she's still not here! _

That was it, something had happened to her. Something bad. It had to be.

Getting up and rushing back to the kitchen, she dialled again.

"_Bodhum police department, how can we assist you?"_

Lightning was pacing intently.

"Yeah, hi, listen. My sister has gone missing. She left a friend's house a few hours ago and still hasn't come home..."

The young woman on the other end of the line seemed to sigh in exasperation.

"_And how old is she?"_

"She's eighteen..."

"_And you've tried calling her?"_

Lightning kicked a chair over.

"Of course I have! What do you think I've been doing all evening?"

"_Okay, listen. Seeing as your sister isn't a minor, you'll have to wait 48 hours before you can report her missing..."_

"WHAT?"

"_It's procedure, ma'am. Your sister is an adult and is free to do as she wishes, and it's too early for us to take any action. Call us back in a few days if you haven't heard anything..."_

"Urgh..."

Lightning threw her cell phone down again. Lucky for her it wasn't an expensive one. Picking up the fallen chair, she sat down and rested her head on the table. _I can't let anything happen to Serah. I CAN'T! _

She could feel angry tears brimming in her eyes. Lifting her head, she wiped her eyes dry, and slumped down in exhaustion.

_What do I do now?_

As she sat there, she noticed a small slip of paper lying in front of her on the table.

_Him._

At that moment, she didn't have any better ideas. Something in her gut told her that if she called him, he would come. In fact, she had no doubt whatsoever.

Grasping the piece of paper in her hand, she retrieved her phone, and began punching in the number. Her hands were shaking. It only rang for a short while.

"_Cid Raines speaking..."_

Lightning swallowed hard.

"Cid...It's Light...listen, I..."

For a moment, words failed her.

"I – I need your help...It's Serah...She didn't come home today...no one knows where she is...I'm..."

She rubbed her forehead.

"I'm really worried."

For a long moment, Cid was silent. She heard him take a few deep breaths, before speaking.

"_I'll be right there."_

He hung up without saying goodbye.

* * *

**Thanks for reading ^_^ **


	10. A God's Subject

**Hello everyone ^_^ **

**Sorry that this update has taken a while, I'm a little out of pace with my writing at the moment, but I'm getting back into it.**

**Thanks for all the views and reviews .**

* * *

"When did you see her last?"

Lightning continued to pace the hallway, sighing occasionally in exasperation. Her shoulders were knotted and hunched, her face weary and pained. She couldn't bring herself to raise her head and meet Cid's eyes; she was already ashamed that she'd called up a near stranger demanding for help. It wasn't his problem that Serah was missing, but there he was, towering over her and trying to relieve her anxiety a little.

"This morning...when she left for school..."

He nodded thoughtfully.

"And no one's heard from her..."

"Since about four, five hours ago..."

Cid couldn't figure out why she was being so defeatist, when she was usually so defiant and level-headed. It wasn't like her to panic and feel sorry for herself, and yet there she was, looking like a lost child. Lightning was the action type – by any logic she should be out searching by now. He couldn't figure it out.

Lightning stopped, and rested her head on the wall. Groaning, she began to bat the panelling with her forehead.

"Serah..."

In a flash, Cid dashed down the hall and placed a hand on her shoulder. He placed another one on her head and gently pulled her away from the wall.

"None of that," he said quietly, sensing her pain, "Just relax and try to think straight. Serah is a grown woman, and I'm sure she can take care of herself. She probably just got distracted somewhere..."

As soon as she'd called, he'd feared for Serah's safety, but the last thing he needed was for Lightning to panic. Lightning leaned forward and rested her head on his shoulder. A shiver ran down his spine when she trembled slightly. _Was she crying? _He suddenly felt the urge to raise his arms and put them around her, but reluctantly resisted. It was the wrong time.

"If we can't call her, we'll just have to be traditional and look..."

Cid felt her hair rub against his shoulder as she nodded. Lightning raised her hands and pushed herself away from him. When their eyes met, she felt the compelling need for action.

"You're right..." she whispered, her voice hoarse and wearisome, "I'm not going to solve anything by standing here panicking."

The cold sweat on her back made her shiver. She realised in those moments, stood there in the hallway with Cid, that she had never really considered the alternative to her common nightmare. Always she worried what would become of Serah should anything happen to her; never did she consider what would become of herself should something happen to Serah. It was something she had not allowed herself to think about. In this moment, the possibility of a life without Serah seemed unnervingly real. The rational part of her mind, the quiet voice that told her repeatedly that she was overreacting and the Serah was fine, had been all but silenced.

Cid straightened up, still trying to hide his concerns.

"Can you think of anywhere she likes to go? Any...thinking spots?"

"No…I…" Light pondered, "I've no idea..."

Cid nodded, and turned to leave.

"Wait!", Light darted through the kitchen door, "I need to leave a note, just in case she comes back."

She grabbed a pen and paper. The note only comprised three words.

_CALL ME NOW_

She left it on the table, and picked up her keys and her phone before rejoining Cid in the hallway. His placid expression was a great comfort to her.

"Okay," she said, affirmatively, "Let's go..."

* * *

Lilith stood a few yards away from the base of the towering structure, smiling blithely as a fascinated Serah appeared behind her.

"I never realised...how beautiful it was at night..."

Serah held up her hand, and a green glow rippled across her fingers, making her skin appear to be an oozing liquid. A feeling of weightlessness overcame her.

"That because you're never allowed out this late..."

She had a voice like an orchestra. It felt like several voices, chorally singing and intertwining to create a beautiful symphony. It was heaven to hear her talk.

"That's just because...my sister loves me..."

Serah felt a little dizzy, and crouched on the paving of the walkway, looking up and taking in the full view of The Vestige.

"No, Serah..."

Lilith turned and walked towards her, although in actuality, her movements were more akin to gliding. She blocked Serah's view and towered over her, like a hovering angel.

"It's because she wants to control you..."

Serah instinctively nodded in agreement, but said nothing, still feeling a little dazed and confused. Lilith began to circle her, like an eagle about to descend upon its prey.

"She's incapable of making any friends, and no men are interested in her. Your sister knows that if you were to leave her and live your own life, she'd be alone forever. That's why she doesn't let you out at night, doesn't approve of you seeing boys and makes you stay late at school, so you have no time for friends..."

Serah's expression changed from one of contentment to one of confusion.

"But she loves me..."

Lilith shook her head, and smiled gently. Crouching, she placed a hand on Serah's cheek, and looked deep into her eyes.

"The only person she loves is herself...deep down you know that's true..."

Lilith seemed to find the hurt in Serah eyes amusing.

"You need people like me," she whispered, "People who care about you..."

The look of happiness appeared on Serah's face once more. The young girl didn't really understand why, she just knew that she had a friend who cared for her.

"I want to live my own life..." Serah began nervously, "I want to move out. I want to go to University, and study history..."

Lilith nodded.

"Of course...and what better way to prepare yourself than by seeing the mark that history has left on our world..."

Lilith stood, and gestured a long pale arm to the glowing green mass.

"Want to come and take a look? I could use the company..."

Serah nodded enthusiastically.

"But…how will we get in…?"

Lilith's smile was mischievous.

"There are ways…don't you worry about that..."

Her eyes sparkled with a sense of anticipation; she gave Serah another winning smile.

"You leave everything to me…"

* * *

Cid Raines had perfected the power-walk in college, as a means of getting to class on time without being sweaty and out of breath. Lightning was less eager to move fast and move eager to inspect every nook and cranny until her sister was discovered. She'd stopped along the promenade to peer in through the windows of the beach cafe, and even stopped a few late night walkers to ask if they'd seen her. Nothing.

Bodhum wasn't usually what was considered to be a big place, but it was infinitely larger if you were looking for someone. Lightning couldn't help but feel that she was fighting a losing battle. She relied on Cid's keen eye as he started off into the distance vacantly. Lightning looked at him, saying nothing. He was strangely calm.

The tall man must've felt her eyes on his back, because he turned and caught her gaze.

"This is my fault..."

Cid's dark eyes were sad, an apologetic expression on his face.

"What? How is it anything to do with you?"

Light found herself getting very annoyed at his constant self-criticism.

"Answer me..!"

Her face creased into a snarl, but Cid's face was blank as ever. He had a feeling in his stomach that this was Dysley's doing. What he would want with Serah Cid couldn't even imagine; it wasn't something he cared to think about.

He had to prove himself wrong. He had to find Serah.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

She advanced on him large strides and shoved him hard in the shoulder.

"I can't do this by myself, Cid. If you've going to doubt yourself then I'll leave you behind!" she hissed vehemently, "I don't know how much you understand about family, but if anything happens to Serah...I...I couldn't ever forgive myself. And if you're just going to stand there moping then-"

"There's no need to shout at me, Light," he said calmly, and he saw a flicker of guilt in her eyes. She sighed in exasperation and exhaustion, and shuffled over to one of the benches facing the sea. Lowering herself into the seat, she sat back, letting her shoulders fall limply, and closed her eyes. Hesitantly, Cid decided to join her.

"You know what I realise?"

Light stared vacantly out towards the horizon, her eyes glazing over as though drifting into unconsciousness.

"I realise that…...I've lived with my sister my whole life…...and I know nothing about her…"

Cid turned, and saw a painful, solemn expression on her face.

"I don't know where she goes, what she likes doing, or who her friends are. I managed to find the boyfriend's number by complete accident, and I still don't know his name or what he looks like."

She ran her hands wearily through her long hair that shone with a strange incandescent glow from the artificial lights.

"Serah….is my whole life…and yet-"

"There."

Light was a little taken aback by his interruption. She stopped, confused.

"What?"

"Over there...people…on the walkway..."

Lightning turned her head, gazing searchingly out towards the walkway. The floodlights gave it a green shine, but she couldn't see anyone.

"I can't see..."

Cid shook his head.

"I can. Let's go..."

He took off at a run, followed hastily by Lightning, who was still thoroughly confused. Could this man be any more erratic? As soon as she thought she'd figured out what he was thinking, he'd say something absurd out of the blue, or run away at an alarming speed. As they moved, she still failed to see the people on the walkway to The Vestige. It wasn't until they were halfway along it that she began to see two dark, grainy figures off in the distance._ Could it be Serah?_

Her heart was palpitating in her chest. She ran as fast as her feet would carry her, all the while keeping her eyes on the people, watching as they slowly came into focus.

She heard Cid call out from ahead, but couldn't make out the words. Squinting in the harsh light of the floodlamps, she saw a familiar dainty figure with a head of long pink hair, standing still in front of the glowing green vision of The Vestige.

"SERAH!"

* * *

**Thanks for reading ^_^**


	11. In the Periphery

**"****I will love the light for it shows me the way, **

**yet I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars..."**

**~ Og Mandino**

* * *

The wind whipped up around the Vestige, and howled within the gaps of the structure. The dark night was ominous, but Serah somehow felt contented, as though an invisible protective shield was wrapping itself around her, pervasive, and as soft as a child's blanket. The lapping of the sea hummed gently in her ears, and she felt an aching need for sleep.

But something wasn't right.

She could hear the voices, whistling along the breeze and making her disoriented.

_Who is that….calling me?_

Serah's eyes snapped open. A strong force was pulling her backwards, and she saw the shrinking form of the Vestige begin to shake and blur in her vision. Turning her head, she saw her sister's hand clamped firmly around her wrist, tugging her harshly back along the walkway.

"Light…?"

Her older sister only seemed to growl in response. Serah saw Cid Raines and Lilith ahead of her, and her wrist began to throb as she stumbled over her feet.

"Light let go of me!"

She planted herself firmly on the ground, shaking her hand free from Lightning's grasp.

"What are you doing?"

Light's brow was furrowed with anger. Her shoulders were heaving, still out of breath from her dash across the ocean.

"I'm taking you home!" she snapped, "What the hell do you think you're playing at, Serah? I thought…I thought…."

Light's resolve faltered, and she stared helplessly in to Serah's confused eyes.

"I don't know what I thought…"

She turned away from Serah, and let the feeling of relief flow. The sensation came over her like a cooling mist, quelling her angry fires and her hot head. She took a few deep breaths, savouring the sea air.

Looking down along the walkway, she observed with some vexation the form of Cid Raines locking eyes with an unfamiliar girl.

"Who is that, Serah?"

Serah's voice seemed to dissolve, becoming quieter and lower in pitch.

"That's my…friend…..Lilith….."

A moment later, Cid Raines was beside her again, looking equally as relieved. Seeing Serah's bewildered face, he placed a hand gently on her shoulder, but she didn't respond.

"Come on, Serah," he murmured quietly, "We should take you home…."

He turned to Lightning for confirmation, but her eyes were fixed firmly on the Vestige.

"Where did she go…?"

Serah frowned.

"What?"

Lightning's eyes darted back and forth along the horizon, her expression one of deep consternation.

"That girl….she's gone…"

Before Cid had time to turn around, Lightning had pressed her keys into his palm forcefully, and leaned in towards him.

"Take her home."

It was a cold, succinct command that Cid thought it best to obey. He pocketed the keys and pulled his arm around Serah, directing her forwards as she tried to turn around and go back to her sister. Staring inquisitively over his shoulder, Cid saw Lightning begin to circle the Vestige, assumedly in pursuit of the mysterious girl. Reluctant to leave her behind, he thought of following her, but soon realized that he'd most likely get a face of knuckles for abandoning Serah. Thinking of the young girl, he noticed that she was shaking gently, and drew the length of his cape around her.

"You shouldn't worry your sister like that, Serah…" he said sternly, making sure she was paying attention, "She's been fretting all evening."

Serah said nothing, still staring blankly ahead into the night.

"Who was that girl?" Cid tried again, hoping that this time his words would receive a response.

Something about her had seemed vaguely familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on what. Maybe it was the eyes…..she'd had such wonderfully deep green eyes, that made him feel like he was staring straight in a forest lake from a great height, and make him feel suddenly at pea-

"Pretty, wasn't she?"

Cid suddenly jolted back to reality. _What is she saying?_

"Um…yes….I guess so…."

Cid had to admit that, there was something unconventionally attractive about that girl.

_But Serah isn't…? No no, Light said she had a boyfriend._

_Unless she likes bo-_

"I know you have designs on my sister and everything, but you can say…it's fine…"

For a second time, he was harshly snapped into the real world.

"I have….'designs'…on her?"

Cid suddenly realised that they were back at the Farrons' front door. He reached into his pocket to get the keys, only to see Serah with her hand on the lock.

"I have my own keys," she said in an acutely condescending manner, "I don't know why she gave you those…"

Cid stared dubiously at the hunk of metal in his palm. No key chains, no different colours. Unbelievably plain.

"I don't think she was thinking straight…"

Serah nodded in agreement, and pushed the door open. Cid found himself being dragged into the kitchen, and pushed down into the same chair he'd been sat on earlier.

_I'm spending an awful lot of time in this room,_ he pondered to himself, as Serah poured each of them a glass of water, and sat down opposite him.

He wasn't quite sure what to say to her. She was swirling the water in the glass, and her eyes were dominated by large black pupils; he would have thought her to be in a state of ecstatic delirium, were it not for the frown on her lips.

She placed her water down on the table, having drunk none of it, and stared at Cid with glassy eyes for a long moment.

"I like you and everything …" she blurted out, her words sounding a little off-beat.

Cid Raines was surprised, but he calmly sipped his water, saying nothing that might upset her in her state of…..confusion.

"I mean…" Serah reiterated, "_She likes you_. Of course she does. And that's all very well and good…."

_Oh lord. _

Cid Raines suddenly realized that he may have been muscled into the '_what are your intentions for my sister_?' talk. He'd never thought of Serah as intimidating until this moment, but he was suddenly very very nervous. It occurred to him that all this business with Lightning and himself must look like something completely different to Serah.

He couldn't tell her what was really going on. Or what he really was.

"Listen Serah, bad things are happening, that's why I-"

"Came all the way down here?"

_Cornered._

"I wanted to make sure that you and Lightning were alright…"

Serah glared at him surreptitiously.

"Why?"

"Sorry?"

Serah was fast in pursuit.

"Why do you care what happens to us?"

Cid Raines shifted uncomfortably. He felt a cold sweat break out on his back, and he rubbed his hands nervously.

"I guess, I …."

He looked down at the table, shamefaced. Serah was trying to force him to admit it, when he was only just beginning to admit it to himself.

He felt something for Lightning Farron. Underneath it all he knew that his desire to protect her was abnormal – when she'd been introduced to him on the airship all those years ago, he'd regarded her with a sense of pity, and then pride. Back then he only felt for her plight, but when they were together at the festival a few days previously, something had happened that he didn't quite understand. She'd _seen _him. Seen through all his military gravitas to the man, the human underneath, and in return, he'd _seen _her. He had seen that beneath the façade of authority and the epitome of strength, she too was human, and was afraid.

_But I can't make her happy._

Serah observed his long contemplative silence with some interest, and took it as confirmation of what she had suspected. Her thoughts were beginning to become clearer and more lucid again.

"Cid…I love my sister…"

"Yes," he mumbled, "I know you do..."

"I have to make sure….I have to take care of her. She likes to think she takes care of herself, but….I'm always looking out for her. I _have_ to. Because…"

Serah smiled at Cid, and he smiled back. She felt warm inside again.

"Because she's the only one who knows how I really feel."

A calm, meaningful silence descended in the room, and Serah was surprised to feel no awkwardness in it. Not anymore. They both listened to the faithful staccato of the clock upon the wall, as they sipped their water quietly and basked in each other's presence.

"She's been gone an awful long time…" Serah muttered absent-mindedly.

Cid sprang up.

"I better go look for her…"

Serah nodded.

"Take the keys," Serah said, picking the bunch up off the table and throwing them to Cid, "I'm going to bed. I don't fancy facing her wrath when she gets home. Put in a good word for me, would you?"

She smiled warmly, before placing their glasses in the sink and wandering off into unknown parts of the house.

Waiting until he heard Serah's bedroom door close, he walked quietly down the hall, pushed the front door and let himself out.

* * *

Lightning was sat on the walkway, letting her legs dangle over the side so that they nearly touched the dark, lapping waters below.

_What happened tonight? _

She'd been so irrational, when all along, Serah had been fine.

_But there was something about that girl…?_

She'd searched all around the Vestige, walked up and down the walkway, and stalked the promenade. No one was about. She couldn't understand it – there was no way she could have left without passing them. They only way she could have departed undetected was is she jumped into the sea and swam for shore, which in itself would have drawn some attention, or if she spontaneously grew wings and flew away.

Such an odd looking girl, with a suspicious face. Lightning chased her in hope of demanding to know who she was, and giving her a flea in her ear. She'd been disappointed not to find the mysterious stranger.

Serah had gone missing, and it was somebody's fault.

Light was upset. She needed someone to blame.

Watching the water pensively, she realized that, in reality, the only one at fault was herself.

_I'm sorry, Serah. I must make life so difficult for you._

She barely heard him creep up behind her. A small cloud of dust stirred by her hand, and she looked up to see the tall figure of Cid Raines looking down at her with a solemn expression. With military precision, he sat down and pushed his legs over the edge. The sea dampened the tip of his boots.

"She's fine. Seems a little tired, but I think she'll be okay..."

Lightning said nothing, still staring off into the distance. Her mind was filled with thoughts of Serah, and, ostensibly, her dead parents.

_I'm a failure. _

"You were wrong, you know…" Cid mused, nudging her gently in the side.

She seemed to truly acknowledge him at that point, and turned her head to look at him questioningly.

"About what?"

Light suddenly felt a tension between them that she hadn't felt before.

"About what you said about Serah. About….you not knowing anything about her…"

Lightning sighed, and shook her head.

"I suppose she had a little talk with you then?"

Cid chuckled, and he was happy to see her smile at him in reciprocation.

"You could say that," he said benevolently, wringing in hands, "But she told me something interesting..."

Lightning couldn't help but wish he would just spit it out already.

"Which was..?"

"That you're the only one who knows how she really feels."

Lightning's smile faded. She hung her head in what appeared, to Cid, to be shame.

"I should've trusted her, and I didn't," Light mumbled wearily, "She's an adult now….I have to accept that…"

_She's not my little sister anymore. _

Light's own upbringing had been fraught with strife and angst. All her life, all she had wanted was for Serah to feel safe, to save her from heavy burdens and let her live like any normal teenager, at the same time as protecting her. All she wanted was for Serah to be happy. Sometimes, it was so hard to find the balance between sibling and parent. Where did she draw the line?

_I've been a good sister._

_I've been a good guardian._

_But, I've been a bad friend._

Something in her expression must have given away her despair, because she felt the strong arm of Cid Raines across her back, and a warm gloved hand on her shoulder. He didn't pull her towards him. Rather, he waited for a few moments, until she inevitably leaned against him, and closed her eyes.

It had been a long day. She was too tired to care about prudence, or distance. She was too tired to care about boundaries. There was only a small part of her mind that felt suddenly humbled by the fact that an attractive young man had his arm around her. Right now, Cid Raines was only friend she had in the world.

Light only ever felt completely at ease in solitude. Cid's ego was so unimposing that his presence caused her no ill-feeling. In that sense, he was unlike anyone else she had ever met.

They sat in the twilight, both wordlessly admitting their feelings for each other. It was so peaceful, Cid almost thought it a shame when she spoke.

"Thank you….", she started hesitantly, before continuing with more fervour, "Thank you for being there for us…I never would have seen her out there….Just, thank you…"

He nodded.

"It's my duty to protect the people of Cocoon…"

_Probably not for much longer._

Light pulled away from him a little, and looked up at the profile of his face.

"But that's not all is it…?"

Still he didn't look at her. Images of fire and brimstone were burning in his mind. It was all so hopeless. _So inevitable._

And yet, she was a shining light in a darkening horizon.

"Why did you come…?" she asked, still looking at him, "Why did you come when I called you?"

He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply, whilst Lightning waited with more patience than she ever thought she could have, for him to reply.

Suddenly, he turned his head and looked straight into her eyes, his face more serious than she had ever known it.

"You _**know **_why."

The breeze picked up a little.

She did know.

They both knew.

Her eyes traced the slope of his back, rising up to the line of his jaw. Their faces were close; she could see every pore in his skin, and feel his hot breath on her face as he closed his eyes, and rested his forehead against hers.

That moment in the periphery seemed to last aeons. Lightning's mind raced, constantly thinking that it wasn't too late to run away, and stop this from ever happening.

But the point of no return had been passed. She raised the tips of her fingers to his cheek, and felt him twitch gratefully at the touch.

Inhibitions placed aside, she exhaled, and let him kiss her.

Suddenly human again, Cid felt her warmth, her concealed compassion inviting him, and he put his arm around her waist to pull her closer, whilst his hand moved curiously to caress her long hair. She accepted him gratefully, suddenly unable to think about anything else other than getting as near as she possibly could to Cid. In that moment, she felt as though she could never be close enough to him.

And then it was over, broken away, each breathing quietly again against each other.

For Lightning Farron and Cid Raines, there had never been a calmer night.

* * *

**Thanks for reading.**


	12. Architecture

**Apologies for the little delay, but rest assured I have been working at this diligently as always.**

**And again, thanks to all my viewers and reviewers. I hope you are enjoying the story so far and I welcome all constructive criticism ^_^**

* * *

Whilst walking back, Light decided it was a little early for hand-holding, yet still endeavoured to walk as close to him as possible, their shoulders brushing against one another whilst they made idle conversation. Both of them tried to find roundabout ways of asking the questions they wanted to ask, but neither succeeded. Still, a feeling of acquiescence began to dawn on Lightning, and she decided to let the evening play out its course. Despite her relaxed pace, and Cid's lips smiling airily, both their hearts thumped in their chests, and their breathing was still a little shallow.

Cid paced up to the front door and produced a bunch of keys with a steady hand, wondering whether he should open the door himself or hand them to Lightning. In the end he opted for the latter, and she opened the door, and took a step inside, leaving Cid on the doorstep.

"Serah'll forgive me soon enough," she mused, glancing behind her to see if her sister was lurking somewhere in the backdrop.

"Just…" Cid struggled to find the correct words, "Just make sure you keep a close eye on her, and who she hangs around with…"

Light nodded solemnly. The riddle of the mysterious girl was still puzzling her, but Serah was safe, and for now, that would have to do.

She shuffled a little on the mat, wondering what she should say or do as a means of bidding him goodbye. Before she could begin to think of words, Cid Raines had swept forward fluidly, and slid his arm around her waist. Gently he placed his lips against her forehead, and closed his eyes. Lightning smiled as she felt his warm breath against her brow.

"I'll come around tomorrow to check on you both…" he murmured, rubbing her back gently.

"I'd like that."

He stepped away, and she smiled warmly.

"Good night, Cid. Thanks…for everything…"

"Anytime," he said, truly meaning it, before smiling one last time, and walking away.

As he walked back across Bodhum to get the shuttle home, he began to wonder about Serah's odd behaviour, and the mysterious stranger at the Vestige.

When he found himself back on the streets of Eden, he was tempted not to go straight home. He thought of a large stone mansion across town, and a presence from within it, calling him.

"_Not tonight," _he mumbled under his breath.

He was sure Dysley heard it.

* * *

Sometime in the mid-morning, a nervous, exhausted and underpaid technician wandered the halls of the T-91A, carrying several rolls of blueprints and a handful of paperwork. His target had been the General, but apparently, he was otherwise occupied, so he had been directed to deliver the bundle to one Aver Rygdea, in the crew's quarters.

Upon seeing the man, the young technician immediately wished he had waited for the General.

"Who are you?"

It was more of a grunt than a sentence. Rygdea's face was stern yet agitated, with the look of a man who had too many thoughts in his head to cope with such petty anomalies as a person who he did not recognise.

"I'm…" the young man bit his tongue hard, "I'm Regent, sir. I've brought the first draft plans for the _Lindblum_…"

Aver snatched a blueprint from the top of the pile, causing Regent to flail in an attempt to keep the papers in his arms, rather than on the floor.

"_Lindblum?"_

"Yes, sir. The newly commissioned T-91B; the _Lindblum_ is its model name. These are just the initial blueprints and briefing documents. Naturally, General Raines will want to discuss any issues that arise with me; it's hard to detect flaws in one's own work, so I welcome any feedback he has. That paper you're looking at, that's the new layout of the cargo holds and engine room. The main engine is going to be relocated closer to the fuel tank to save on pumping and the circuit system for the on-board lights is going to re-engineered to-"

"Alright, slow down there, egghead. "

Regent's mouth snapped shut, and grew into an irritated frown.

"So," Aver continued, "How is it that these plans are here only days before the thing was commissioned?"

Regent laughed nervously.

"Well, sir, to be honest, airship design has been my field for as long as I can remember. Dysley was adamant that the preliminary discussions be completed quickly, and as it happens, I had drawn up these plans at least six months ago, sir. When I heard about some minor faults with the T-91A I got to work on a new set of plans, just out of interest, at first. But of course, news reaches me that the current model is to be scrapped, I showed these plans immediately to the Primarch's advisors and they really loved it – so now, I'm the architect assigned to the project, sir."

Rygdea could see by the way the man's pupils had dilated and his developing giddy smile that airships were some sort of drug for him. Nonetheless, Aver was impressed, but he tried not to show it. The eagerness with which Dysley was prepared to help them still made him feel uneasy, especially after the secret that had just been revealed to him.

"Well, thank you, Reginald- "

"Regent, sir."

"Thank you, _Regent._ I will make sure these plans are brought to the immediate attention of the General."

Regent nodded, his face beaming with pride. He gingerly placed the pile of papers on a nearby table.

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir"

The technician gave an excited wave, and scuttled away.

"Freak….", Rygdea mumbled under his breath. Sighing in exasperation, he picked up the blueprints and made his way down the corridor to the elevator. It pinged chirpily when it arrived at the top floor, and once again, Aver found himself barging uninvited into Cid's office.

He was gazing listlessly out of the windows, deep in thought, as per usual.

"Blueprints," Rygdea stated bluntly, dropping the pile of papers on to the desk. No response from the General.

Cid's eyes were focussed onto the expanse of the aerodrome, and in his mind he was waxing romantic. The whole night he'd thought of her, and the whole morning a sensation of amalgamated fear and anticipation had overcome him. Every time her face appeared in his head, and her eyes met his, the black mark beneath his gloves would throb.

_What a complicated state of affairs, to be a L'cie in love…_

_Do I love her?_

His hand smarted mercilessly.

_I have to give her up. _

He began to wince due to the pain.

_I can't give her up._

Rygdea was tutting, and becoming noticeably irritated.

"Cocoon to Cid. Hello…."

The General suddenly turned, and caught Aver's gaze with a forced smile.

"Blueprints?" Cid mumbled, noticing the papers, "Already?"

Aver nodded.

"Yup. Some architect called Roland just dropped them off. They look pretty good, although I'm not sure I understand the mechanics…"

Cid flicked through them with ease, circling points here and there, and vocally voicing concerns to Aver, who had little idea of what the General was saying, though he would never admit as much. Rygdea had learnt to say 'yes' , 'ahh', 'mmm' and 'no' in all the right places. However, as Cid was reading and scrawling, Aver couldn't help but notice how he often stopped to look at his hand, and how his face would scrunch up, evidently pained.

"Are you….are you alright, Cid?"

The General stopped suddenly, placing his pen gently on the desk.

"I'm fine, Aver. Really. Just this past week has been a little stressful…"

Rygdea gave a humourless laugh.

"I know what you mean..."

_No you don't, _thought Cid. _You have no idea._

He shuffled the papers and handed them back to Rygdea.

"If that Ronald comes by, tell him to take note of my annotations, correct the faults, and bring them back to me as soon as possible…"

Aver nodded, trying once again to balance the blueprints. When he'd arranged them adequately, he made his way to the door.

"Actually, Aver, one more thing…"

He turned, perplexed. Cid Raines was wringing his hands.

"Would you mind if I left a little early today?"

Rygdea grunted.

"You're the boss. Do whatever the hell you want. Whaddya asking me for?"

* * *

Lightning's sleep had been sporadic and uncomfortable, inherently both perturbed and moved by the events of the previous night. In the harsh morning daylight, it all seemed like a hazy dream, but she could still feel his arms around her, still taste him on her lips. Moreover, he would be back, and she would have to face him, and they would have talk. The whole idea made her feel a little ill.

She showered and dressed for work, as normal, and somewhere around the house she could hear Serah going through her own morning routine. When Light finally dragged herself to the kitchen, her sister was sat in her usual seat, eating cereal and looking a little tired. Serah looked up, with a hint of a glare in her eyes.

"So, "she began, " Are you going to clean the mess you made in my room?"

_Oh crap, _Light mentally upbraided herself.

_I forgot about that._

"Not right now, I'll do it tonight. I was trying to get a hint on where you might be…"

She began to pull together some kind of breakfast, feeling too physically and emotionally drained to have an argument with her little sister. Indeed Serah herself seemed keen to let the subject drop, and gave her sister a coy smile.

"Oh, and what happened with Cid?"

"_Nothing."_

"Liar!"

Serah smiled heartily.

"I saw the two of you on the doorstep…"

_I knew it._

"Listen, Serah, don't get too worked up over this…"

Light stared bashfully down into her food.

"Nuh uh, no way," Serah said sternly, getting up and grabbing her school bag, "If you can criticise me about Snow, I can criticise you about Cid…"

_Snow? So that's his name._

"I'm older than you, I can do whatever I like. And what the hell kinda name is 'Snow'?"

Serah frowned, and put her hand on her hip.

"What the hell kinda name is 'Lightning'?"

Light blinked, producing only a gormless stare.

"Touché…"

* * *

The place looked different, wholesome even, in the daytime. It was the tail-end of the afternoon, the light was gently dimming between the pale clouds, and the courtyard plants had their flowers open were swaying gently in the breeze. The cobbles were dry, the sweet smell of flora was in the air, and there were a few people, probably servants and groundskeepers, weaving in and out of the gardens into the yard before him. Cid remembered what had happened the last time her had come here; he almost couldn't believe it was the same place, and yet still a feeling of dread and unease came over him. It was almost as if his fear had left an imprint in the stones, and it flowed back into his body from the ground.

Nonetheless, the General's sangfroid remained as he strode boldly up to the manor, and the servants nodded to him respectfully as he passed.

Breathing deeply, he saw the familiar unnerving Lion, and rapped upon the door.

He wanted to speak to Dysley. He wanted to try and find out if the strange events surrounding Lightning and Serah were anything to do with his macabre machinations. He wanted to know….if he really intended to destroy Cocoon.

_Because I'm not going to do it, Dysley. No way in hell._

The door creaked open slowly, uninvitingly. A man in formal garb stood before him; a rather petite fellow with brown hair, a generous stomach, and glasses.

"Good day, sir. How can I be of service to you?"

The man had a Palumpolum accent, and a cold.

_Different butler,_ Cid thought. _ How odd…_

"General Raines, I'm here to see the Primarch…"

The butler adjusted his eyeglasses, and moved to get a better look at the visitor.

"I'm sorry, sir," he whispered rapidly, as though trying not to sneeze, "He's absent at the moment. He attends a Governors' summit in Edenhall. If you'd like to come in, you're welcome to wait for him…"

Cid Raines could see clearly over the man's head, to an antique clock upon the wall behind him.

"My apologies, tell the Primarch that I will call upon him tomorrow."

"Sir?"

The General took a step back.

"I can't wait. I have an appointment with a lady…"

* * *

**Thanks for reading. **


	13. I Can Feel You

**Hello everyone ^_^**

**Thanks again for all the support. I really like this chapter, I hope you do to.**

**On a side note, I realize that I've been making Rygdea quite unlikeable :p but I guess we can't all be nice. **

**FFXIII does not belong to me, unfortunately. **

* * *

"Sir, your dinner is ready…."

The small, plump butler hovered intrusively in the doorway of the study, where the Primarch was reading through documents acquired from that afternoon's meeting. He had found it most unnecessary, and his hand was beginning to ache from all the constant scrawling and signing. Besides which, he had much more pressing matters to attend to. Menrva had seen something very interesting the previous night, _very interesting indeed_, and the thought made him smile a little inwardly.

"Bring it up to me, if you would, Hawkins…"

_Damn humans and their regular eating patterns. _

Hawkins nodded humbly.

"Very good, sir," he announced, before withdrawing from the doorway and disappearing back into the corridor.

Dysley put his pen down and leaned back into the soft padding of the velvet chair, breathing out slowly, and then inhaling the scent of parchment and a cup of coffee from the desk that had long turned cold. The slow, languid pace of political life was an encumbrance he found hard to endure, but his own disinterest was immaterial. No, what mattered were the historical developments, the knowledge that no one save himself, and one other man, was privy to.

_The boredom will disintegrate once the chaos comes_; war had become nothing but a primordial memory to these people, they were thoroughly unprepared. The thought made him feel sick.

And at that precisely incorrect moment, Hawkins reappeared with a tray laid out with silverware, and Dysley's meal on ornate white china. He placed the tray on a side table, cleared the desk of papers, and then placed the meal delicately in front of the Primarch.

_Very efficient. I think he shall become a permanent fixture_.

"That'll do, Hawkins. I appreciate your coming in at such short notice; I'm not sure what has happened to my regular man, but your services have sufficed…"

Hawkins bowed his head.

"Yes, sir. Actually, sir, the housekeeper bade me tell you, there is some news as to the whereabouts of Mr. Porter…"

Hawkins could have sworn he saw a grin breach Dysley's usually deadpan face.

"Oh?"

The Primarch already knew the news he was about to receive.

"Yes, apparently his wife telephoned early this afternoon – Mr. Porter fell ill during the night and passed away…"

Dysley tried, with all his might, to portray a rueful expression.

"That is sad news, Hawkins, but I suppose for a man of Mr. Porter's age and constitution, it can hardly be unexpected. Still, you will see to it that some form of condolence is sent to his widow."

"Yes, sir. Of course, sir."

"And would you be interested in replacing him in his regular duties?"

"I would be much obliged, sir…"

The Primarch smiled warmly.

"Very well then. The housekeeper will have Mrs Porter's address, and if you would kindly give her yours…"

"Yes, sir…"

Hawkins bowed briefly, before taking a swift exit from the large room, and closing the door softly behind him.

It was ever so nice to get the little domestic matters out of the way, Dysley wondered happily, as it allowed one to focus on the larger issues at hand. Right on cue, Menrva appeared on the windowsill, and hooted.

"Yes, yes, come over here…"

Happily, she fluttered across the room to land precipitously on the edge of the dinner tray, and looked up at him with large, green eyes. She hooted again.

"Was he now?" murmured Dysley with some interest, eyeing his questionable meal with some distaste.

Menrva continued, letting her eyes fall curiously to the food in front of her.

"An 'appointment with a lady'?" the Primarch chuckled heartily, "Oh, how nice for him. How lovely that it's all falling into place. I couldn't have imagined it going better myself!"

Menrva nodded in approval, before whimpering, and bowing her head in shame.

"Now, now, don't worry about the young girl; we'll get to her in due course. Not everything can go right the first time – that simply would be too good to be true. We'll have to bide our time a little, and try again when they let their guard down. For now, let us enjoy the developments…"

He playful popped a pea into Menrva's awaiting beak.

"Time, my dear. All we need is time…"

* * *

Lightning sighed.

The problem was, of course, that she had to look good, without looking as though she'd _tried_ to look good. Hair down, brushed, but not styled. Everyday clothes, except they were clean, ironed, and vaguely colour-coordinated. No perfume, but she had decided that putting some flower oils in the bath would have a similar effect and not constitute having made an effort.

Serah was putting herself through a similar, but slightly more intensive process. Apparently, this _Snow_ was cooking for her tonight, an idea that Lightning was highly sceptical about, and so she had made a lasagne earlier on that Serah could eat when she got home if said boyfriend's cooking turned out to be dire. When Lightning decided she had reached the ultimate state of apparent unpreparedness, she sat down on the sofa and pensively watched the television, wondering when it was that Cid would show up. There was a horrible sickly feeling in the pit of her stomach, the kind of nervousness that she didn't often feel, and that was impossible to shake. She didn't really know what to expect tonight, what she should say. She couldn't even fathom why he even liked her.

Sighing, she got up, walked into the kitchen and procured a bottle of red wine from the shelf. Usually she saved them for special occasions, but there rarely were any. She took the bottle through to the living room and poured herself a glass, starting to relax a little as a ridiculous news story about a chocobo beauty pageant came on the TV.

Serah emerged from her room looking positively angelic, her hair swept back gracefully, leaving only a single curl dangling down to frame her delicate features, which were adorned with a little more rouge and powder than usual. Dubiously, she eyed the bottle of wine on the coffee table.

"Making a night of it, are we?"

Lightning looked her sister up and down, drinking in the whole ensemble with a grin.

"Could ask you the same thing…"

Serah smiled, and did a little turn.

"Do I look okay...?"

"_Gorgeous_."

Serah put her hand on her hip, and scowled.

"No need to be sarcastic."

"I wasn't."

She really wasn't.

Serah picked her bag up off a chair and got a little jacket off the peg.

"Oh, and Serah?"

The younger sister turned, gingerly, and saw a stern expression on Lightning's face.

"CALL ME when you get there. DO NOT stay out past midnight and MAKE SURE he walks you home."

"Right, right…" mumbled Serah, sighing in exasperation.

"No smoking," Light continued, "No alcoholic beverages, no parties, no drugs, no talking to strangers, no running with scissors, got it?"

Serah couldn't help but smile mischievously at her sister's over-protectiveness.

"Yes, boss…can I go now?"

"Sure," Light conceded, having done all she could to prevent an encore of the previous evening's events, "Have a nice night…"

Serah huffed, and grinned.

"Without running with scissors? I'll try…"

_Bless her, and her cutesy sense of humour._ A little smirk appeared on Light's face, and she listened regretfully as the front door closed behind Serah, and she was left to wait, alone.

* * *

Cid, still in his uniform, bumped into Serah on the sidewalk outside the Farron household.

"She's just up there waiting for you," Serah said chirpily, "I think she's a little nervous; she's hit the wine already…"

Cid nodded thoughtfully.

"I'll calm her down…"

Serah pulled a face.

"I bet," she mumbled, too low for Cid to hear, before waving and bounding on down the street.

"Behave yourself tonight, Serah…" he called after her, a playful seriousness in his tone.

She shouted something fairly intelligible over her shoulder.

"…...as bad as she is…deserve each other…."

It was all he heard of her response as she disappeared around the corner, and out of earshot.

He paced up to the front door, and gave it a gentle knock.

When Light appeared, she smiled at him amiably, and his anxiety seemed to subside a little. She looked….pretty, her hair flowing beautifully and a hint of colour in her cheeks.

"You look nice… Sorry, I didn't have time to change…"

It was all he could say.

She shuffled a little, and tried her best to be nonchalant.

"Don't worry, I like the uniform. You going to come in?"

She stepped aside and led him into the living room.

"Make yourself comfortable," she offered, "Would you like some wine?"

Slumping down onto the sofa, he positioned himself amongst the cushions, attempting to get comfortable.

"After the week I've had, I think I deserve it…."

She smiled, and wandered into the kitchen to fetch a glass. She poured him a generous amount, handed the glass to him, and picked up her own.

"Cheers," he said, raising his glass with a smile. Light clinked their glasses together.

"Cheers," she confirmed, and they both took a long sip. An interested look appeared on Cid's features.

"Mm, how old is this?"

"Ten years or so," she mused, glancing over to the bottle, "I was saving it, but what the hell…"

She took another long gulp. Her senses were telling her it was not good to be inebriated in her current situation, but with each little sip the fear pooling in her belly was a little quelled. They chatted a little of life, and Light disappeared briefly to receive a phone call confirming that her sister had not befallen any catastrophes on the way to Snow's place. On her return, Light confided in Cid her concerns about Serah's new beau, and as always, he was keen to listen and quick to reassure her. As he did so, Cid noted that the bottle of wine had depleted significantly over the course of the evening.

"I didn't have you down as the drinking type, Light…" he said, smiling happily.

She shook her head, and put the glass down.

"I'm not, really, but I guess I needed it. I've been a little under the weather recently, and what with work…Serah…."

She trailed off, and Cid nodded knowingly.

"Believe it or not, the Response Unit is pretty complicated too. We're scrapping the T-91A and bringing in a new prototype. It's only in the paperwork stages at the moment, but it's going to be a long and tiresome process."

"The T-91A? Didn't they just build that?"

"That was four years ago. Remember, it was how we met. You were only, what, sixteen?"

She nodded, recalling the incident in his office. She was so young then, so afraid and vulnerable after the loss of her mother. Never would she have imagined when she met Cid that they'd end up, well, like this. She'd never really imagined herself like this with anyone.

"Doesn't feel like all that long ago, does it, Cid? I guess we haven't changed much…"

Cid glanced from his glass of burgundy liquid to the deep blue eyes of which he had grown fond. It didn't hurt when she looked at him – it didn't hurt when he heard her voice. The pains in his chest, the dull meagre throb in his gloved hand, they skulked away like a frightened animal in her presence, leaving behind them the feelings of complacency and contentment that Cid had been known to feel only whilst human. There was such confusion, such convolution in his mind. He was still refusing to believe what he was, what he would become, and he knew, in his heart, the less involved he was, the easier it would be for Lightning. Why then, did he feel that the closer he got to her, the more he would find out? As though she was involved in this long before he ever was? Putting to rights the wrongs in his heart and mind - was she written into Dysley's script as well?

_Lightning….why couldn't we have been together before…before I became this monster?_

"On the contrary…" he said quietly, into his glass, "I think you've changed a lot since then…"

She'd noticed an alteration in Cid's tone, in his expression, but said nothing, and retrieved her glass from the table.

"Oh? You think so?"

He nodded, sullenly.

"The girl I met then….well, she was just a girl. Very alone, very afraid…."

Light looked at him sideways.

"And now…you're an accomplished soldier, you've successfully raised a bright, if a little wayward, young girl, and managed to run a household all by yourself. That's….well, that's very impressive…"

Light exhaled, and made a sound like a pleased hum. She was not really used to compliments – she thought about saying something nice in return, but he continued before she had a chance.

"And then, well, look at me," Cid could feel the wine beginning to loosen him up, "I've done well in my career, yes, but I never see any actual combat, never been a war hero. I have a small, bare apartment, no family, a very limited social life…"

Cid placed his glass down on the table.

"Excluding the estimable Farron sisters," he continued, "I have a grand total of one friend, and I haven't been to a non-work-related party in over fourteen years…."

Light saw the amusement in Cid's eyes, and chuckled a little, realising that perhaps they were both more similar than she had previously thought. But suddenly his smile was gone, and a strange moroseness filled his features. He looked straight towards her.

"Moreover…."

Cid began to wring his hands, and his eyes seemed to sink into his skull, and become sorrowful.

"Moreover," he began again, his voice now softer, "I am completely and utterly…enamoured with a woman who is far, far too good for me."

Lightning felt her breath hitch in her throat, and her heart pick up the pace. It was the sincerity in his voice that truly astounded her the most.

_He honestly believes that..._she thought in wonderment.

_He honestly believes that the paranoid sociopath who distress-calls him in the middle of night is too good for him. _

She didn't let her face depict her feelings. Instead, she remained calm, expressionless, placed her glass down on the coffee table, and reached for his hand.

Cid did nothing as she pulled herself closer, lifting her free hand to tilt his head towards her.

"Look at me…" she whispered, almost inaudibly. It was hard for him to look, because he knew once he did that he would not be able to turn away. Her eyes were invigorating.

This time, she kissed him. Forcefully, unrepentantly, she moulded her lips around his and forced him to acknowledge her. There was something affectionate, and yet belligerent about it. Something that made him want to cower and run away, but he was too engrossed in her. She pushed her hand under his uniform, and managed to find skin at his waist. He leaned back against the corner of the sofa, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in to feel her exuberance and warmth. As she traced her lips across his neck, he wished dreadfully that he could remove his gloves and feel her skin, feel every strand of hair between his fingertips. Light still savoured the gentle caresses, and trembled a little as his hands ran from her shoulders to her hips, stopping only once to pull her head back to his. _Must have those lips_. He kissed her deeply again.

A moment later, she detached herself from him, and gently placed her head on his shoulder, breathing against his neck. Placing her hands on his chest, she pushed herself up, and sat back on her knees, rubbing her forehead.

"I think….I think the wine's made me a little tired…"

Cid smiled, and lifting his legs onto the sofa, he pulled her into his arms, and lay back against the cushions.

Lying in his arms made her feel like a child again.

* * *

When Serah came home, she noticed with some dismay, that she was late.

_12:03_

"Urgh, she's going to kill me…."

Tiptoeing through the house, she peered into the living room, and saw a sight that pleased her heart.

Cid Raines was dozing peacefully on the sofa, with Lightning beside him, one arm draped across his waist, and her head on his chest. Two wine glasses lay half empty on the table, and the TV was murmuring quietly in the background.

"That…" she whispered, to herself, "…is too cute..."

Trying her best to be as silent as possible, Serah switched off the television, cleared away the wine glasses, and turned off the lights. An idea came to her, and she cautiously opened the door to Light's bedroom to retrieve her sister's plain white quilt. Careful not wake either of them, she draped it across the sleeping figures, and tucked it around them as unobtrusively as she could. Standing back to admire her handiwork, she couldn't remember the last time her sister had looked so tranquil and peaceful.

Feeling the weight of the day on her eyelids, Serah drank in the scene once more, before shuffling off to bed, as silently as she could.

* * *

**Thanks for reading. **


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